Three musicians from different genres have joined hands to raise awareness against child marriage through an experimental folk-fusion song and music video titled “Koinya”.

National award-winning musician and composer Emon Chowdhury, rapper Aly Hasan and folk singer Aleya Begum collaborated on the track, produced by BBC Media Action as part of its “Child, Not Bride” campaign.

The music video has been released on social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube.

Child marriage remains a major social problem in Bangladesh. According to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UNICEF, nearly one in two women in the country were married before the age of 18.

The practice affects girls’ education, health, safety and future prospects while increasing their risks of early pregnancy, violence, poverty and lifelong inequality.

Emon said he joined the project because he believes music, particularly when combined with visuals, can effectively communicate social messages and reach a wide audience.

“I feel music, when it comes with video, is an important medium to raise awareness as it can touch people emotionally through both melodies and visuals, so the information and messages given stay in their minds for long. As musicians, we are liable to mankind for its well-being,” he said.

Emphasising the adverse impact of early and child marriage, Emon said families should prioritise the dreams of girls rather than destroy their futures through early marriage.

For “Koinya”, Emon blended soulful folk melodies with the energetic pulse of hip-hop in an effort to engage audiences across the country.

He said one of the challenges was creating a musical package that could carry a strong social message while blending Bengali folk with fast-paced rap. However, the artists enjoyed working together for the cause.

Although Emon had previously worked with Aleya Begum on several projects, “Koinya” marks his first collaboration with rapper Aly Hasan.

“Aly has a natural instinct for putting a rhyme to raw local words, turning those into engaging rhymes instantly, which is really interesting,” Emon said.

The song uses simple and memorable lyrics to convey its message against child marriage, while the music video presents the issue through a localised storyline aimed at making it relatable to rural audiences and younger generations.