Community participation along with proper enforcement of the existing related laws is very important to establish child marriage-free society in the country.
Extensive support from the teachers, parents and influential leaders can be the crucial means of attaining the cherished goal of building a society free from child marriage as it’s a precondition for achieving the sustainable development goals.
The observation came on Wednesday in a view-sharing meeting by some social elites who urged the people to raise voice and work together to resist child marriage everywhere in the society.
Tanore Upazila Administration hosted the meeting at its conference hall.
Several public representatives, marriage registrars and enlightened youths joined the meeting.
Omor Faruque Chowdhury, MP, addressed the meeting as the chief guest with Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shawkat Ali in the chair.
Officer-in-Charge of Tanore Police Station Rejaul Islam, Upazila Vice-chairmen Abdur Rahim Mollah and Bondona Rani Pramanik, Secondary Education Officer Amirul Islam, Primary Education Officer Shamim Ahmed and Union Parishad Chairman Abdur Rashid also spoke.
Faruque Chowdhury called for building a social resistance against child marriage as it is very dangerous to girls.
He said there is no alternative but to create community awareness through raising school-based awareness on adolescence for combating the existing pace of child marriage.
Emphasis should be given on involving community people so that they can play pivotal role in changing the social mindset on child marriage. Building awareness among the adolescents about their rights to reproductive health is also important, he added.
