Dhaka – Speakers at a function here on Sunday called upon people not to encourage the marriage of children below 18 years
of age terming it a threat to the country in its socioeconomic perspective.Children under 18 years of age are not physically and mentally ready for marriage and child birth, they said while addressing a daylong ‘Child Protection Fair’, aimed at preventing child marriage, on Ershad School Playground premises at Kakrail in the city,UNB News Agency Reported.
Advocacy for Social Change unit of Brac and Unicef jointly organised the programme, inaugurated by Additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka district Mohammad Mojibur Rahman.The fair highlighted a theme styled ‘Girl child is my pride, not marriage before 18 and it should be my pledge’.Government officials, NGO representatives and a large number of children along with their parents were present on the occasion, said a Brac press release.Citing the 2011 Demographic Health Survey, the function was told that despite the national law prohibiting child marriage, 65 percent of women who were 20 to 24 years of age at the time of survey got married before the age of 18.
