Government’s proposal for lowering the age of marriage for girls to 16 from 18 would legalise child rape in the country, activists of different children and women’s rights groups made the remark in Barisal yesterday.
Therefore, lowering the legal age for marriage of girls 16 will legalise child rape, they said at a press conference arranged at the Barisal Reporter’s Unity yesterday.
National Girl Child Advocacy Forum, Girls Not Brides, Child Rights Advocacy Coalition in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Girl Power Alliance took part in the event and called for immediate cancellation of the proposal.
“Even such discussion will spread a wrong message across the country as well as the world. Apart from health hazards, early marriages can result into an increased rate of crimes against women and children in the society,” said Anowar Zahid, president of Barisal NGO Development Network.
Strict movements would be waged if the plan is not dropped immediately, the speakers said. The press conference was addressed by Akkas Hossain, Khaleda Huq, and Shuvangkar Chakraborty among others.