Staff Reporter :
In a major move to combat child marriage, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has announced plans to form 6,200 quick response teams across Bangladesh. These teams will operate at the district and upazila levels to take immediate action against incidents of child marriage.
The announcement came during a discourse titled “Policy Dialogue to Prevent Child Marriage” held on Thursday at the Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka. The event was jointly organised by development organisation Poppy and the Bangladesh Open Source Network (BDOSN), with support from the Malala Fund.
Officials said that legal reforms are underway to back the initiative and strengthen enforcement mechanisms.
“Government efforts alone cannot eliminate child marriage. A shift in public mindset is essential. Without social transformation, even the strongest laws will be ineffective,” said Prakash Kanti Chowdhury, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
He confirmed that the ministry is actively working on the formation of the 6,200 response teams, designed to act swiftly against child marriage cases across the country.
Md Sajjadul Islam, Additional Director of the Department of Social Services, added that 500 social workers have already been deployed as part of the initiative, with further recruitment in progress.
Swapan Kumar Halder, deputy director of the department, emphasised the importance of community engagement, particularly through the involvement of youth. He proposed the formation of local youth groups to support the cause and create awareness at the grassroots level.
POP Executive Director Murshed Alam Sarkar highlighted the long-term consequences of child marriage, stating, “No matter how many development programmes we implement, if child marriage persists, our progress will always be at risk.”
Other speakers at the event included BDOSN President Munir Hasan, POP Deputy Executive Director Sajedul Hasan, former Malala Fund Country Representative Mosharraf Tansen, and POP Director Ferdousi Begum. All underscored the need for a multi-pronged approach involving education, gender equality, legal reform, and community mobilisation to eradicate child marriage in Bangladesh.
