'Girls Not Brides Bangladesh', a national coalition opposing child marriage, issued a strong statement on Thursday (October 1, 2026) protesting a demand by the Panchagarh District Muslim Nikah and Talaq Registrar Association to reduce the minimum legal marriage age for females to 16 years and males to 18 years.
In a press release endorsed by 31 prominent non-governmental and civil society organizations—including Plan International Bangladesh, Save the Children, BRAC, ActionAid Bangladesh, and the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum—the coalition characterized the registrars' proposal as a regressive strategy that encourages child marriage. The statement highlighted that under the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, the legal marriage age remains strictly 18 years for females and 21 years for males, with explicit criminal penalties for facilitators and registrars who breach statutory provisions. Girls Not Brides Bangladesh urged state authorities to maintain a firm stance against attempts to lower legal protections, calling on government-registered marriage solemnizers to abide by human rights standards and national child protection commitments.
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Reported by Staff Reporter • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
