BSS, Rangpur :
Marriage registration has already become popular to substantially reduce child marriage and subsequently maternal and neonatal death rates in the remote char areas on the Brahmaputra basin in recent years.
The life standard of the char people and family peace have now marked improvement following eradication of child marriage, dowry and polygamy and arranging marriage of their sons and daughters at right age with proper registration.
In addition, the char people, who were married some 15 to 50 years back or even earlier, are now registering their marriage though the cent percent wedding was at premature age between 10 and 14 years for the girls without registration even a decade ago.
The success has been achieved following comprehensive motivational activities being conducted through GO-NGO efforts with NGOs as implementing partner organisations of the Chars Livelihood Programme (CLP) since 2004 in riverine char areas of 10 districts.
According to official sources, the UKaid through the Department for International Development, Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development have been funding implementation of the CLP activities.
The comprehensive CLP activities are being conducted to eradicate extreme poverty of the landless have-nots group char families through various income generation activities to improve livelihoods to change their socioeconomic conditions.
Head of Programme Coordination Monjusree Saha of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the implementing organisations, said the char people had lived in utter poverty for decades together, but they are now achieving socioeconomic uplift to lead meaningful life.
“Side by side arranging new marriage with registration at right age, the older char couples are also being inspired in registering their marriage after many years of weeding to make the Charter for Changes programme successful,” she said.
Besides, the newly married and able couples are being provided with proper methods for family planning and pregnant women with necessary medicare services for containing population growth through building planned family and ensuring safe delivery.
“As a result of implementation of the comprehensive CLP activities, the extremely poor char people have achieved the laudable success in reducing child marriage, maternal and neonatal deaths side by side achieving economic self-reliance,” she added.
Talking to BSS at Khamar Banspatari and Khhordo Banspatari char villages in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram, a number of CLP beneficiary husbands and wives narrated harmful impacts of the century-old social curses and superstitions in char areas.
They said they could not even think about marriage registration and marriage at right ages in the past and they are now making history through registering all new marriage as well as marriage of older couples even after many years of their wedding.
Marriage registrars Alef Uddin and Tofazzal Hossain of the char areas said they have been registering marriage of the adult sons and daughters at right age now, also marriage of the older couples and narrating severe consequences of child marriage.
After registering their marriage at a ceremony after 30 to 50 years of wedding, couples Ramjan Ali, 76, and Ayesha Begum, 65, Abul Hossain, 66, and Feroza, 56, Kader Fakir, 74, and Ayesha, 63, of the villages expressed happiness.
Similarly, fifteen older couples registered their marriage at a ceremony in remote Arazi Kanua char village under Kawnia upazila in Rangpur after 20 to 35 years of beginning conjugal life through overcoming the wraths of social curses.
Marriage Registrar Abdul Aziz first registered the marriage of couple Abdul Mazid, 62, and Zamila Khatun, 53, after 35 years of their wedding and then registered marriage of the other older couples in the ceremony.
“Now, we vow to stop child marriage, dowry or marriage without registration in building a happy, prosperous and middle income Bangladesh as envisioned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through ensuring planned families,” the couples said.
Congratulating the couples for registering marriage after 35 years, Senior Programme Manager (Women Rights) of RDRS Bangladesh, Mezbahun Nahar said example of registration of new marriage and late marriage has created positive impact in char areas.
“As a result of increasing number of new marriage with registration without dowry and adoption of family planning methods, the rate of maternal and neonatal deaths has been reduced to the minimum in char areas,” she added.
Marriage registration has already become popular to substantially reduce child marriage and subsequently maternal and neonatal death rates in the remote char areas on the Brahmaputra basin in recent years.
The life standard of the char people and family peace have now marked improvement following eradication of child marriage, dowry and polygamy and arranging marriage of their sons and daughters at right age with proper registration.
In addition, the char people, who were married some 15 to 50 years back or even earlier, are now registering their marriage though the cent percent wedding was at premature age between 10 and 14 years for the girls without registration even a decade ago.
The success has been achieved following comprehensive motivational activities being conducted through GO-NGO efforts with NGOs as implementing partner organisations of the Chars Livelihood Programme (CLP) since 2004 in riverine char areas of 10 districts.
According to official sources, the UKaid through the Department for International Development, Australian Government through Australian Agency for International Development have been funding implementation of the CLP activities.
The comprehensive CLP activities are being conducted to eradicate extreme poverty of the landless have-nots group char families through various income generation activities to improve livelihoods to change their socioeconomic conditions.
Head of Programme Coordination Monjusree Saha of RDRS Bangladesh, one of the implementing organisations, said the char people had lived in utter poverty for decades together, but they are now achieving socioeconomic uplift to lead meaningful life.
“Side by side arranging new marriage with registration at right age, the older char couples are also being inspired in registering their marriage after many years of weeding to make the Charter for Changes programme successful,” she said.
Besides, the newly married and able couples are being provided with proper methods for family planning and pregnant women with necessary medicare services for containing population growth through building planned family and ensuring safe delivery.
“As a result of implementation of the comprehensive CLP activities, the extremely poor char people have achieved the laudable success in reducing child marriage, maternal and neonatal deaths side by side achieving economic self-reliance,” she added.
Talking to BSS at Khamar Banspatari and Khhordo Banspatari char villages in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram, a number of CLP beneficiary husbands and wives narrated harmful impacts of the century-old social curses and superstitions in char areas.
They said they could not even think about marriage registration and marriage at right ages in the past and they are now making history through registering all new marriage as well as marriage of older couples even after many years of their wedding.
Marriage registrars Alef Uddin and Tofazzal Hossain of the char areas said they have been registering marriage of the adult sons and daughters at right age now, also marriage of the older couples and narrating severe consequences of child marriage.
After registering their marriage at a ceremony after 30 to 50 years of wedding, couples Ramjan Ali, 76, and Ayesha Begum, 65, Abul Hossain, 66, and Feroza, 56, Kader Fakir, 74, and Ayesha, 63, of the villages expressed happiness.
Similarly, fifteen older couples registered their marriage at a ceremony in remote Arazi Kanua char village under Kawnia upazila in Rangpur after 20 to 35 years of beginning conjugal life through overcoming the wraths of social curses.
Marriage Registrar Abdul Aziz first registered the marriage of couple Abdul Mazid, 62, and Zamila Khatun, 53, after 35 years of their wedding and then registered marriage of the other older couples in the ceremony.
“Now, we vow to stop child marriage, dowry or marriage without registration in building a happy, prosperous and middle income Bangladesh as envisioned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina through ensuring planned families,” the couples said.
Congratulating the couples for registering marriage after 35 years, Senior Programme Manager (Women Rights) of RDRS Bangladesh, Mezbahun Nahar said example of registration of new marriage and late marriage has created positive impact in char areas.
“As a result of increasing number of new marriage with registration without dowry and adoption of family planning methods, the rate of maternal and neonatal deaths has been reduced to the minimum in char areas,” she added.
