Lawyers and rights activists have urged those wishing to get married to learn the related rights, and conditions before tying the knot.
The call was made at a discussion on directives issued by the High Court after public interest litigation (PIL) on accessing justice after rape, and discrimination in marriage certificates. The discussion was organized by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) at their office in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.
Supreme Court Advocate and BLAST legal advisor SM Rezaul Karim said: “The major problem for us is that we have limited knowledge about marriage. If everyone knew about the safeguards available to them, it would be much easier for them to get justice.”
Aynunnahar Siddiqua, another Supreme Court advocate, said many lawyers were among those who did not know marriage law well, and misleading explanations from such lawyers was creating misconceptions among the public.
“Young girls are victimized as they are not aware of their rights. Everyone should learn about their rights before getting married,” she added.
Referring to the recent verdict on a PIL filed jointly by Blast, Naripokkho, and Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, where the High Court Division directed the government to omit the word "Kumari" (virgin) from in front of the bride’s name on Muslim marriage registration forms, she said: “The court also directed to mention if the groom was married or divorced, decreasing discrimination in the marriage registration forms further.”
Supreme Court Advocate Tajul Islam said many women did not know they could file for divorce without permission from their husbands by approaching the court.
Advocate Rezaul Karim said while the government wished to raise awareness about rights, but field level officials responsible for circulating the information appear to be unwilling, on the basis of recent incidents.
“This is where the duty of the journalist comes in, as they can enrich news reports with information about rights so people can learn more,” he added.