Six schoolgirls have been saved from child marriage in a single day in Sirajganj Sadar upazila, owing to the efforts of Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Anisur Rahman.
He first foiled the marriage of Jannati Khatun, 14, daughter of Sama Shekih of Kanu village, on Friday afternoon, reports UNB.
On the same day, he also foiled the marriage of another 13-year-old seventh-grader, daughter of Sanwar Hossain from Kadai village.
In another drive, he stopped the marriage of Subarna Khatun, 16, daughter of Abu Hanif of Baghbati village in the evening.
Girls whose marriages were stopped, paving the way for them to continue their studies are ninth-grader Atia Khatun, 14, daughter of late Akabr Ali of Paikosha village, 10th-grader Nupur, 15, daughter of Hafizul of Kangati village, and seventh-grader Lima Khatun, 12, daughter of Sanwar Hossain of Maligati village.
The mobile court fined the guardians with Tk20,000, while a kazi (marriage officiant) was fined Tk50,000.
At the same time, the magistrate took pledges from the parents that they would not marry off their daughters before they turn 18.
Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. The country has been taking various steps to improve the situation.
