It was at the end of 2019 when Shatila achieved recognition by performing a play on the prohibition of child marriage during her school’s cultural event after the annual examination. However, she had no idea that the day of the school function would mark the end of her schooling.
On the day of the event, Shatila, a seventh-grade student from Dholpur in Jatrabari, was attending Shahid Smrity High School on Mohajonpur Lane, Nawabpur, Dhaka. She then had to marry a 35-year-old Saudi expatriate.
She is among the hundreds of girls who had to confront the fate of getting married at an early age, as low as below the age of 15, and these instances mean Bangladesh has the highest rate of child marriage in Asia.
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 51% of girls in Bangladesh are married off before their 18th birthday, and 15% are married off before the age of 15. The survey was carried out in 2019 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in collaboration with Unicef Bangladesh.
Citing internal school data, Bazlur Rashid, assistant headmaster of Shahid Smrity High School, claimed: “Around 20% of the students fail to attend every year from class seven to eight. Many parents admit that their daughters, aged 14 or 15, are being married off due to financial constraints.”
Regarding Shatila’s ill fate, he said: “Shatila was a bright student and, in line with previous cases, such marriages are arranged discreetly, before students become aware. They leave the school unaware of the situation as well.”
The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2022, conducted by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) with the support of USAID, also comes up with an alarming finding. It shows that 51% of girls are married off before they turn 18 (50% before the age of 18 and 27% before 15).
Portraying the very high rate of adolescent pregnancy in Bangladesh, the report reveals that the adolescent birth rate per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 is 74 in Bangladesh.
This correspondent visited another school, Graduate High School in Old Dhaka, and discovered that about 20% of students in that school also drop out every year while studying in class 7-9. Financial crises pose the primary obstacle, particularly for students from the Rabidas Cobbler (shoemaker) community.
Challenge of pursuing education
The Rabidas Cobbler community, with around three and a half thousand families, experiences economic challenges but continues to uphold its traditional occupation of shoemaking. In this community, school-going girls often engage in household or tailoring work to support their families financially.
“The staple food we have here is a dish made with red spinach and pulses. It becomes challenging to pursue education when there is no access to a variety of foods like fish, meat, and eggs,” 35-year-old Lakshmi Rabidas said.
Against this challenging backdrop, Khusbu Rabidas stands out as a beacon of hope. Despite the prevailing hardship, she is a class nine student at Graduates High School, while her younger brother is studying in class four. Mother Geetha Rabidas runs a saree business, and after the death of Khushbu’s father four years ago, her studies were halted due to financial constraints. However, with determination, she resumed her education, facing near-breakdowns due to the financial crisis.
The Child Bride to Bookworm (CBB) Project of Plan International Bangladesh came to her aid, providing study materials and a monthly stipend for the past two years, enabling her to continue her education. Similarly, Sumaiya, who is also supported by the same project, continues her studies.
This project extends cash support to marginalized families, helping them establish businesses and achieve financial stability, thereby enhancing their overall well-being. Additionally, it has initiated infrastructural improvements, contributing to sustainable school development. The project extends its support to boys who drop out due to financial crises.
The CBB project has made a significant impact, directly benefiting 10,079 children from slum areas. It has played a crucial role in providing opportunities for girl children to develop their talents and escape social traumas like child marriage.
Remarkably, 95% of students attended the half-yearly exam in the current academic year, underscoring the project’s effectiveness. Various programs are conducted under this project in schools to foster student development, promoting an environment where students are encouraged to discuss and express their ideas freely. This approach has led to a 10% reduction in the student dropout rate over the past year.
According to Bazlur Rashid, an integral part of this initiative is the Gender Equity Movement in Schools (GEMS) corner. The goal of this project is to reduce school dropout rates. Aimed at narrowing learning gaps for students facing educational challenges, this corner is set to be implemented in 22 high schools in Dhaka under the “Child Bride to Bookworm” project of Plan International Bangladesh.
