Creating awareness among the students about consequences of child marriage, dowry and repression on women and children have become imperative to eliminate these social curses. Officials and experts expressed the view at an awareness raising campaign on prevention of child marriage, dowry and repression on women held at Sadar union parishad premises in Pirgachha upazila on Monday afternoon. Pirgachha Upazila Child Marriage Prevention Committee organised the event with assistance of the Upazila Governance and Development Project of the Local Government Division under financial support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Presided over by Pirgachha Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jasmine Prodhan, students, guardians, teachers, marriage registrars, Imams, civil society members, chairmen of different union parishads and local elite attended the event.
Deputy Director (Local Government) for Rangpur Syed Farhad Hossain attended the event as the chief guest.
Pirgachha upazila Chairman Shah Md. Mahbubar Rahman, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Abu Al Hajjaj, JICA Representative Nahid Sultana, Upazila Women Affairs Officer Seloara Begum and Pirgachha Sadar union Chairman Mostafizar Rahman Reza addressed as special guests. Dr. Hajjaj discussed the severe consequences of early marriage that leads premature girls to shattered lives hindering their education, destroying future and causing neonatal, maternal and child deaths. Seloara Begum suggested for involving the students, officials, public representatives, religious leaders, marriage registrars and journalists for proper implementation of the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017.
The chief guest urged the teachers and guardians to make the students conscious and educate them on reproductive health for preventing child marriage of premature girls to flourish their talent and leadership for building a happier and prosperous society.
