Bangladesh child marriage law sparks criticism

Dhaka: Rights groups on Tuesday criticised a controversial new child marriage law in Bangladesh which allows children as young as 14 to be married off by their parents.

Parliament passed the Child Marriage Restraint Act on Monday night, replacing a law dating back to the British colonial period.

The new law keeps the minimum marriageable age for males at 21 and for females at 18 but relaxes the age bar for "special circumstances" including for girls who elope, are raped or bear children out of wedlock.

Rights groups have criticised the law, saying it would jeopardise the gains Bangladesh has made in cutting the levels of child marriage and improving the health of women and children.

"The biggest concern is the law has not set any minimum marriage age for special circumstances, meaning children can be married off at the age of 14-15," said Nur Khan Liton who represents the Child Rights Advocacy Coalition in Bangladesh.

The coalition, which includes international charities such as Save the Children, Action Aid, national charities and rights groups, said the law could be abused and poses a "risk" to children.

But a ruling party lawmaker who heads parliament's committee on women's and child affairs, said it reflects the reality in villages where 70 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million people live.

"We have taken into account the opinion of the UNICEF and other experts," said Rebeca Momin, adding the law also toughens penalties for people violating the minimum marriage age.

She said the special circumstances in the law are aimed at protecting the rights and giving dignity to children born out of wedlock.

Despite making impressive gains in many social indicators in recent decades, child marriage remains rampant in the conservative Muslim-majority country.

The previous child marriage law was widely ignored as parents in many poor districts were found to have married off their daughters at the age of 14.

Bangladesh has one of the world's highest rates of child marriage and the highest rate in Asia, with 52 percent of girls marrying before 18 years of age and 18 percent married before they turn 15, according to one set of statistics.

"Weakening the law is a setback for the fight against child marriage, and sends a message to parents ... that the government thinks child marriage is acceptable in at least some situations," Heather Barr of Human Rights Watch wrote after the cabinet  approved the law last December.