Five jailed for child marriage in Joypurhat

A mobile court in Joypurhat on Thursday sentenced five people to different jail terms for arranging marriage of a 12-year-old girl at Bamni village in Akkelpur upazila. Police said Habibur Rahman, 22, son of Kafil Uddin of Balrampur village in Birampur upazila of Dinajpur district, was married with Jakia Sultana, 12, a class IV student of a local madrasah and daughter of Ziaul Islam of Akkelpur upazila in the district on Wednesday. On information, a team of police intercepted a bus carrying the bridal party near Tulshiganga Bridge in sadar upazila and arrested four people, including the fathers of the bride and bridegroom, while returning to Dinajpur on Wednesday night. Later, after investigation, a mobile court led by Akkelpur UNO Solam Mohammad Shahnewaz sentenced five people, including the fathers of the bride and bridegroom, to different jail terms on Thursday evening. Of the convicts—Kafil Uddin, father of bridegroom, and Ziaul Islam, father of the bride, and two witnesses---Afzal Hossain and Mukul got seven days’ jail while Moulovi Omar Ali got one month’s jail. Besides, the court also fined marriage register Ayub Ali Tk2,000, according to a news agency.
-SRS