Staff Reporter :
The Cabinet on Thursday approved the draft of the ‘Child Marriage Prevention Act 2016’ fixing minimum marriage age of girls 18 years with a provision for special marriage.
Girls under 18 can marry in special cases subject to clearance from the court and parents’ consent, Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam told reporters at the secretariat after the meeting.
The law does not specify age limit of under special circumstances, he said.
The draft of ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage Act – 2016’ received the final approval at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The draft law has increased both the sectors of different crimes related to child marriage and sentences for those crimes.
Educational certificates, birth registration or passport documents will be considered for counting the ages of the brides and bridegrooms, according to the draft.
In the draft law, the punishment for violating the court order is jail term upto six months or a fine of Tk 10,000 or both.
Meanwhile, six months’ imprisonment or Tk 30,000 fine or both will be awarded to those who will bring false charges of child marriage.
If two underage boy and girl marry, they can be detained for 15 days and fined Tk 5,000, the draft law stipulates. On the other hand, any adult who will marry an underage girl would be awarded two-year jail sentence or Tk one lakh fine or both.
Parents and marriage registrar can be sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail or Tk 50,000 fine or both for violation of the law.
The child marriage cases will be dealt like other criminal offences. In addition, mobile court can also try the accused, the Cabinet Secretary said.
The Cabinet on Thursday approved the draft of the ‘Child Marriage Prevention Act 2016’ fixing minimum marriage age of girls 18 years with a provision for special marriage.
Girls under 18 can marry in special cases subject to clearance from the court and parents’ consent, Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam told reporters at the secretariat after the meeting.
The law does not specify age limit of under special circumstances, he said.
The draft of ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage Act – 2016’ received the final approval at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The draft law has increased both the sectors of different crimes related to child marriage and sentences for those crimes.
Educational certificates, birth registration or passport documents will be considered for counting the ages of the brides and bridegrooms, according to the draft.
In the draft law, the punishment for violating the court order is jail term upto six months or a fine of Tk 10,000 or both.
Meanwhile, six months’ imprisonment or Tk 30,000 fine or both will be awarded to those who will bring false charges of child marriage.
If two underage boy and girl marry, they can be detained for 15 days and fined Tk 5,000, the draft law stipulates. On the other hand, any adult who will marry an underage girl would be awarded two-year jail sentence or Tk one lakh fine or both.
Parents and marriage registrar can be sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail or Tk 50,000 fine or both for violation of the law.
The child marriage cases will be dealt like other criminal offences. In addition, mobile court can also try the accused, the Cabinet Secretary said.
