NAOGAON, Oct 02: The rate of child marriage is increasing alarmingly in Raninagar upazila of the district due to apathy of the administration and lack of awareness among the people.
Sources said Madhupur, Chatardighi, Betigram, Chatarpukur and Alankarpukur villages under Kaligram union; Paril and Bishia villages under Paril union of the upazila are best known for child marriage.
Most of the girls of the areas are entering in conjugal life before passing class XII or XIII, the sources added.
Mozaffar Hossain Khan, principal of Raninagar Sher-e-Bangla College, said poverty, lack of awareness, negligence of the UP chairmen-members, light punishment for early marriage given by the local administration-- are the major factors behind the increasing rate of child marriage in the upazila.
Instead of the traditional little amount of fine and short-term imprisonment, if the offenders of child marriage are come under strict penalty, this bad practice would be removed from the area quickly, Mr. Khan added.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Al Mamun said, "We are trying our level best to prevent child marriage in the upazila."
"The administration alone can only reduce the rate of child marriage a little bit. If the common people come forward in this regard, the culture of child marriage can be eradicated from the society easily", he added.
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