Khulna Division halts 86 child marriages in 3 months

A quarterly session of the Khulna Divisional Committee on Child Marriage Prevention was held on Wednesday in the conference room of the Divisional Commissioner’s office, highlighting that at least 86 child marriages were successfully prevented during the first three months of the year.

Divisional Commissioner (Acting) Mohammad Nazmul Haque presided over the meeting.

Addressing the session, he described child marriage as a persistent social stigma and stressed the need to prevent it, particularly in marginalized and remote areas. He noted that many child marriages initially stopped are later carried out, emphasizing the importance of continuous monitoring and intervention.

He further urged that mobile courts should be activated to curb child marriage effectively, as on-the-spot punitive measures serve as a strong deterrent. He also called on relevant authorities to intensify awareness campaigns to educate communities about the harmful consequences of child marriage.

According to the quarterly report presented by the Department of Women Affairs, covering 10 districts under Khulna Division, a total of 86 child marriages were prevented between January and March. During this period, 765 courtyard meetings (Uthan Baithaks) were conducted to raise awareness among local communities.

The meeting also noted plans to implement school-based programs in every union across the 10 districts to further strengthen prevention initiatives. Among those present were Director of the Divisional Social Services Office Anindita Roy and Deputy Director of the Department of Women Affairs Suraiya Siddika, along with other officials and community representatives.