Speakers at a meeting stressed the need for creating mass awareness in order to launch a vigorous social movement for eradicating child marriage from society.
They made the opinion while addressing a rally held in front of the Rajbari press club yesterday afternoon.
The Jatiya Mohila Songstha, Rajbari district unit, supported by Department of District Women Affairs and Department of Social Service of Rajbari organised the programme.
The program was addressed by Member of Parliament, reserved seat, Kamrun Nahar Chawdhury Lovely, as the chief guest.
Deputy Director of Department of Social Service Depok Kumer Shaha and Officer of Women Affairs Department Azmir Hossain, among others, addressed the event.
Terming child marriage as a violation of human rights, Lawmaker Kamrun Nahar Chawdhury Lovely said, early marriage has an adversely affect on education, health and wellbeing of girls and perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
Early marriage causes girls to drop out of schools and limits their opportunities for social interaction, said Depok Kumer Shaha, adding that most of girls could not enrolled in secondary school because of early marriage as the in-laws are not interested in continuation of education for the girl after marriage.
Expressing frustration, the speakers said despite various government and non-governmental initiatives to check child marriage in the country, parents are continuing to marry off their underage daughters as they are not aware of the adverse impact of early marriage.
“We should initiate a movement at every sphere of life to stop child marriage in the society,” said Azmir Hosain.
Apart from the speakers, journalists both from print and electronic media, social elite and NGO activists took part in the rally.
