RAJSHAHI, Nov 18: Over 6,500 girl students became victims of early marriage in the district. These school-college students were married in the last 18 months after closing all education institutions amid Covid-19 pandemic. Their dreams got broken. In fact, their lives were badly impacted by the long closing gap. Along with the child marriage-spree, violence against women has also gone up in Rajshahi District.
According to District Education Office data, the number of students ranging from class six to ten in the district is 2, 12,163, including 1,03,407 girl students. About 6,512 girl students of them have been victims of the child marriage. The rate of the child marriage is about 6.29 per cent.
In Bagha Upazila, 121 of the total 3,457 girl students have been married; the rate is 3.57 per cent. In Bagmara Upazila, 1,785 of the total 21,390 students have been married; the rate is 8.34 per cent, the highest percentage. In Charghat Upazila, 684 students of the total 9,031 have been married; the rate is 7.57 per cent.
In Durgapur Upazila, 490 of the total 6,602 girl students have been married; the rate is 7.42 per cent. In Godagari Upazila, a total of 873 students of the total 12,992 have been married; the percentage is 6.71. A total of 501 of the total 6,560 students have been married in Mohanpur Upazila; the rate is 7.69 per cent.
A total of 830 of the total 11,296 students in Poba Upazila have been married; the percentage is 7.35. In Puthia, 465 of 7,587 girl students have been married; the rate is 6.12 per cent rate, and 680 of total 8,442 in Tanore have been married; the percentage is 8.5.
The rate of child marriage in Sadar Upazila is the lowest. In Boalia Thana in the city, 19 of total 7,250 students have become victims of child marriage; the rate is 0.26 per cent, and 64 of total 8,800 in Matihar have been married; the percentage is 0.73.
Head Teacher of Durgapur Pilot Government High School Abu Sayed said, "We are contacting every day with students. We are asking them to attend school. Also guardians are contacted. Attendance will go up soon. Education environment will return."
Head Teacher of Aamgram High School in Durgapur Upazila Taslim Ali said, "We are running school according to the government instructions. Students and guardians are contacted regularly. Students are asked to attend the school."
In Bagha Upazila, Head Teacher of Polassey Fatehpur High School Rokunujjaman said, even after providing huge facilities by the government, secret marriage is taking place; it cannot be stopped. "During the leave time, 12 students of my school were married," he added.
Assistant Teacher of Chakrajapur High School in Bagha Upazila Golam Mostafa said, there are two high schools in Padma char; over 50 students of these schools have been married.
Head Teacher of Chakrajapur High School Abdus Sattar said, there are 15 schools in Padma char; child marriage was settled during the school-closing time.
"According to my knowledge, 35-40 students have been married. They are not coming to school. The exact child marriage information can be known after the end of the year," he maintained.
Chairman of Chakrajapur Union in Bagha Upazila Azizul Azam said, people of Padma char are normally poor; growing children have become burden to families; the trend of child marriage is higher on chars.
Bagha Upazila Secondary Education Officer Abul Kashem Obayed said, after getting complaints, measures are taken. If it takes place secretly, northing remains to do. In this case, guardians need to be aware, he maintained.
Puthia Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nurul Hai Mohamad Anas said, "Child marriages during corona time were settled secretly. These were unknown to us. We are working on awareness in this regard."
Associate Professor of Rajshahi University and Member of Teacher Association Dr. Mahmudul Haq said, victims of early marriage
are higher than those of corona deaths in Rajshahi; these victims cannot explore their life potentials.
The impact of their victimisation will not be limited on themselves only, the future generations will also be affected, he further said.
In the case of child marriage, two factors, poverty and social impression, act behind, he maintained.
It needs awareness across the country covering unions and upazilas. Child marriage prevention committees at all levels will have to be re-activated, he suggested.
Zonal Manager Sufia Khatun of BRAC's BLC, human rights and legal aid organisation-Rajshahi said, they are working to eradicate child marriage in coordination with the government. BRAC is running awareness about child marriage, she informed.
During the corona time, violence against woman and child went up, she further said, adding, in the last two years, about 2,000 complaints were received. "Most of these are addressed socially while others are suffering due to lack of justice," she maintained.
It is true violence on woman has increased amid corona, said Woman Affairs Officer Shabnam Shirin. "It involves our society and family reality," she she further said, adding awareness activities on behalf of the government are in order.
She also informed, Department of Women affairs and local administration are working about awareness; but local administration will have to play important role in this. They should go for legal action if child marriage is reported, she added.
