High Court bars women from being appointed as Muslim marriage registrars

The High Court has disqualified women from becoming Muslim marriage registrar on the grounds of certain physical conditions.

In its full judgment released recently, the High Court bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque observed: "It has to be borne in mind that due to certain physical conditions a woman cannot enter the mosque during a certain time of the month. She is even excused from performing the mandatory daily prayers during this particular time.

"This physical disqualification does not allow her to conduct religious task. We are mindful of the fact that Muslim marriage is a religious ceremony and has to be guided by the terms and dictates of Islam," media reports said quoting the full verdict.

The High Court bench delivered the verdict on February 26 last year rejecting a writ petition filed by Ayesha Siddiqua, a marriage registrar candidate from Dinajpur.

The petition was filed challenging a decision of the Law Ministry not to recruit her as a marriage registrar.

In its verdict, the High Court also upheld the decision of the ministry that in 2014 said that women cannot be marriage registrar due to the social and practical conditions in Bangladesh.