by ELITA KARIM
PHOTO/Prabir Das
Very recently, a law drafted by the Ministry for Women and Children’s Affairs stated that if a 16-year-old female gets married with the consent of her parents or the court for justified reasons or under special circumstances, she would not be considered underage or a minor. However, the authorities do not define what they mean by special circumstances.
A girl is said to have reached adulthood at the age of 18 – an age when she is said to be free to decide for her self, choose her suitor (if she feels she needs one) and in a nutshell, be responsible for her own thoughts and activities. Hence, the age of 18 is also said to be legal for a young female to choose a partner and marry – which is the generally accepted law. However, to add to it all, doctors and health specialists also say that at the age of 18, not only is the female mind old enough to make decisions of her own, but also the female body is strong enough to conceive and ultimately deliver off springs.
Not to be mistaken, the marriageable age of girls still remains at 18, however with parental consent this can be lowered to 16. Despite a torrent of criticism, the government plans to move with this strategy.
“The cleaning lady who works in our building, married off her 12-year-old daughter a couple of years ago,” says 28-year-old Tahira Tasnim, a research analyst in Uttara. “Today, her daughter is 14 years old and a mother of a two-year-old baby girl. Moreover, she was soon divorced from her husband (who also happens to be her first cousin) and now is a single mother without any formal or informal education, nor a job to support the baby.” A common scenario in many parts of the country even today, marrying of the minor girl child for reasons like lack of security and finance is almost a daily occurrence.
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