Awareness meeting on child marriage, violence held in Kurigram

A courtyard meeting was held in Kurigram to raise awareness about preventing child marriage and violence against women.

The meeting was organised by the Ulipur upazila unit of Bashundhara Shuvosangho on Thursday at Char Dagar Kuthi village in Hatia union of Ulipur upazila.

Speakers at the meeting said child marriage deprives girls of a normal life, education and opportunities to build a better future. Early marriage also exposes girls to various physical and psychological problems. They stressed that families, local representatives, teachers, students and socially conscious citizens must work together to prevent child marriage.

Noor Alam Siddiqui, president of the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Ulipur upazila unit, said girls should be given the opportunity to continue their education rather than being married off at an early age.

“There is no alternative to creating awareness to prevent child marriage and violence against women. The change must begin within families,” he said.

Participants who experienced child marriage also shared their stories at the meeting.

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Baby Begum said her father married her off when she was in Class Eight. She now has a one-year-old child and could not return to school after her marriage. The marriage ended in divorce a year later.

“I did not understand how harmful child marriage could be at that time,” she said.

 Komoli Rani and Priya Roy shared similar experiences, saying they were married while studying in Class Nine. They now have children.

“We were married off by our families when we were young. We did not understand what marriage meant then. We are now managing our households. We are poor, and if we had understood the consequences earlier, we would not have married so young,” they said.

Fatema Begum, a homemaker, said her daughter was also married off at an early age, but the marriage did not last.

“We did not understand the consequences of child marriage before. We will never marry off another girl at an early age. Child marriage creates many problems and often destroys peace in a family,” she said.

On violence against women, homemaker Meneka Rani said financial hardship often contributes to conflict within families.

“We are poor and our husbands have limited incomes. Financial difficulties often create unrest in the family, and sometimes husbands beat their wives,” she said.

Student Moni Rani said girls want to continue their education and become self-reliant, but families often try to arrange their marriages at an early age.

“From today, I promise that I will never accept child marriage,” she said.

Rokonuzzaman Manu, Kurigram district correspondent of Kaler Kantho, and BM Abdul Wahab, adviser to the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Ulipur unit, among others, also spoke at the meeting.