Guardianship and Custodian Act
Monday, 6 August 2007
This letter is in reaction to the article on the subject, published in the FE yesterday. Arguing her case for amending the particular Act, its writer asserted, 'Over the years, there have been extensive changes in the Guardianship and Custodian Act in Britain itself and now a British child is identified as per his or her mother's name. Unfortunately, there has been no amendment to the law in Bangladesh since its enactment 117 years ago."
In Bangladesh, father's name is now mentioned along with mother's recognising that the child belongs to both. But we cannot adopt the current British practice of identifying a child as per the mother's name only as single parent families, as there are now in Britain, are uncommon in this country. Many British women now conceive and deliver babies without being wedded. Only prostitutes occasionally have babies here through commercial sex or sex outside wedlock.
The Act may still be amended to strengthen the position of mothers giving the responsibility to the court to determine with whom the child-in case of a dispute between parents-would be more secure, prior to giving his or her guardianship and custody to any one of them.
Abida Munir
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In Bangladesh, father's name is now mentioned along with mother's recognising that the child belongs to both. But we cannot adopt the current British practice of identifying a child as per the mother's name only as single parent families, as there are now in Britain, are uncommon in this country. Many British women now conceive and deliver babies without being wedded. Only prostitutes occasionally have babies here through commercial sex or sex outside wedlock.
The Act may still be amended to strengthen the position of mothers giving the responsibility to the court to determine with whom the child-in case of a dispute between parents-would be more secure, prior to giving his or her guardianship and custody to any one of them.
Abida Munir