Right Activists question the Child Marriage Restraint Act

Human rights activists gathered in an event by Tripping Point project of Care Bangladesh at BRAC center where they discussed about the drawbacks of Child Marriage Restraint Act which passed in February 27, 2017.

Salma Ali, executive director, Bangladesh National Women’s Lawyers Association (BNWLA) questioned the term ‘the best interest of a child’ in the Child Marriage Restraint Act. She marked it as problematic since the parliament did not set any specific definition of this term.

Dhaka University Professor of Law Department Dr. Shahnaz Huda said that the country might risk normalizing underage marriage by the application of such laws.

Mizanur Rahman, additional secretary (administration) of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, said that without massive social change it would be impossible to stop the child marriage.

Bangladesh is the only south Asian country which allows child marriage with a special case. According to the report by Care, other countries like Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan have not allowed any such exemption in the child marriage irrespective of the comparable economic and socio-cultural background.

Source: Dhaka Tribune