The administration has stopped the marriage of a 12-year-old girl in Atrai upazila of Naogaon, while five people have been punished for attempting to snatch the groom during the crackdown.

The incident occurred at Samaspara of Bisha union on Saturday afternoon when Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Moniruzzaman and a mobile court team went there after receiving information about the marriage of the Class VII student.

The marriage was arranged with a young man named Al Amin at the girl’s home, according to the administration.

The mobile court stopped the marriage and detained Al Amin for his alleged involvement in arranging the child marriage.

As the team was taking him away, around 30 people from the bridal party allegedly blocked the UNO’s vehicle, tried to snatch the detained groom and obstructed officials from performing their duties.

Additional police, led by Atrai Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahbub Alam, later arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control.

On Sunday morning, UNO Moniruzzaman said a mobile court sentenced three people and fined two others in connection with the incident.

Under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017, groom’s father Md Yanus Sheikh and bride’s father Jewel were fined Tk 20,000 each for arranging the child marriage.

Three others – Mannan, Md Rabbi Sheikh and Md Mahatab Ali of Samaspara village – were sentenced to one-year, six-month and one-month simple imprisonment, respectively, for obstructing government officials from discharging duties and attempting to attack police, court staff and village police involved in the mobile court operation.

The fathers of the bride and groom were also made to give written undertakings to comply with the child marriage prevention law.

Meanwhile, several teachers, including former President of Samaspara High School Managing Committee Munirul Zaman Munir, were allegedly present at the wedding ceremony.

Some villagers alleged that Munirul encouraged members of the bridal party to attack the UNO’s vehicle and try to snatch the groom.

He denied the allegation, saying the marriage took place two years ago and only formalities remained.

Munirul also said he attended the ceremony because of his family relationship with the groom’s side and cooperated with the upazila administration.