A seventh grader from Sirajganj’s Belkuchi upazila was saved from early marriage at the intervention of the local administration on Thursday night.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Anisur Rahman went to the girl’s house with members of law enforcement. By then, preparations were underway to marry off the 14-year-old to a 25-year-old man.

A mobile court, led by UNO Anisur, stopped the child marriage and fined her father Tk 5,000.

Also read: Bangladesh has highest prevalence of child marriage in S Asia: UNICEF

The girl’s father also gave an undertaking that he would not marry her off until she reaches adulthood.

Child marriage in Bangladesh

A UNICEF report released in October last year noted that despite significant progress in recent years, Bangladesh has the highest prevalence of child marriage in South Asia and ranks among 10 countries in the world with the highest levels.

It called for accelerated action to end child marriage in Bangladesh by 2030.

Also read: 6 schoolgirls saved from child marriage in Sirajganj

The report, “Ending Child Marriage: A Profile of Progress in Bangladesh”, said the country will need to put in more efforts to bring change to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to end child marriage by 2030, and the national target to end child marriage by 2041.

Progress must be at least eight times faster than the rate of the past decade to meet the national target, and 17 times faster to meet the SDG target, it said.

Also read: Satkhira child marriage rate 74 pc

While the prevalence of child marriage in Bangladesh has dropped from over 90 percent in 1970, it remains very high: 51 percent women who are currently aged 20-24 were married while they were still children.

As a result, the country is home to 38 million child brides who were married before their 18th birthday, including 13 million who married before the age of 15.

Also read: Eti evades child marriage to win three golds

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic now threatens to roll back progress on ending child marriage.

More than 50 people were injured in a factional clash between two groups of the ruling Awami League in Faridpur’s Saltha on Friday led by the current and former union parishad (UP) chairmen.

Police used two sound grenades, 14 teargas canisters and 56 blank shots from shotgun to quell the clash, Saltha Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Ali Jinnah said.

The hours-long clash started on Thursday noon and continued until Friday morning in Majhardia union’s Kumarpotti and Majhardia villages.

Locals said incumbent UP Chairman Md Habibur Rahman and former chairman Md Shahiduzzaman had been at loggerheads over control of the area. Both are vice-presidents of the ruling party’s Saltha upazila unit.

Also read: AL factional clash leaves one dead in Faridpur

Their animosity took a turn for the worse ahead of the UP election.

Locals said the clashes first started on Thursday noon and ran until late night during which a number of houses in Kumarpotti village were vandalised. Thirty-one people, including six policemen, were injured.

Supporters of the two Awami League leaders fought running battles on Friday morning.

But the clash on Friday was more severe, leaving more than 50 people injured. At least 15 houses were attacked and vandalised this time.

Also read: AL factional clash leaves one dead, 20 injured in Jhenaidah

The injured were admitted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, Faridpur General Hospital and Nagarkanda Upazila Health Complex.

Incumbent chairman Habibur’s son Faruk Hossain said the supporters of Shahiduzzaman were behind Thursday’s clash.

“After the clash, they assaulted one of our supporters. The ensuing clash took place in the afternoon,” he said. “They beat up another of our supporter at Majhardia market on Friday, triggering fresh clashes.”

But Shahiduzzaman rejected the allegation and blamed Habibur’s supporters for the clashes.

Also read: Five shot in Madaripur during AL factional clash

“After the Kumarpotti village clash, Habibur’s supporters vandalised the house of my supporter Jinayet Molla and chased us, leading to running battles,” he said.

“We’re in keeping touch with police to make sure the situation does not deteriorate,” he said.

‘Den Mohr’, the money given by the bridegroom to the bride, has somewhat become a matter of showoff these days. But a wedding that people saw in Faridpur on Friday shattered the conventional perception.

The ‘Den Mohr’ was fixed at Tk 1 at the insistence of the bride and her family.

Bipasha Aziz, 25, the only daughter of Madaripur residents Azizul Haq and Nasrin Sultana, works at a private company in Dhaka. Her husband, Ashikuzzaman Chowdhury, 30, a resident of Faridpur, is a businessman.

Also read: How to Get Married in Bangladesh during Covid-19

Those who attended the unique marriage said the bride had decided on the token ‘Den Mohr’ since she is financially solvent. But the Quazi, who administered the marriage, wrote Tk 200,000 as Mohr.

When Bipasha came to know about it, she and her mother informed the Quazi about their decision and changed the amount to Tk 1.

Faridpur Nagarik Committee President Awlad Hossain said the bride’s side usually forces the bridegroom to raise the Mohr.

Also read: Wedding ceremonies that Corona failing to stop!

“But this is an exception as a self-dependent woman exhibits her dignity,” he said.

However, Faridpur BlAST coordinator Shipra Goswami did not agree.

“Mohr is the right of a woman. It’s fixed after considering the financial condition of the bridegroom and the woman’s social standing,” she said.

Also read: Marriage in the time of corona

Shipra said there is no place for emotion when it comes to fixing Mohr.

“One can go for a Tk 1 Den Mohr but it’s not practical,” she said. “Her financial condition might be good now but who knows about the future!”

Nevertheless, everyone appreciated the bold and unusual move and prayed for the well-being of the newly-wed couple.

Also read: Why not blood test report compulsory before marriage: HC

A fire broke out at the particle board factory of Partex Group in Narayanganj port area on Friday night.

Eleven firefighting units contained the blaze after about 90 minutes.

Also read: Demra light factory fire extinguished after 17 hrs

The fire broke out around 7pm at the factory.

Freedom Fighter Abdul Latif, the factory’s administrative officer, said the fire was sparked by the friction of machines.

Also read: Fire at Old Dhaka plastic factory brought under control

“It spread rapidly and destroyed the machinery and raw material,” he said.

There has been no casualty, said Fire Service and Civil Defence’s Dhaka office Deputy Director Debashish Bardhan.

Also read: Keraniganj Fire: Death toll jumps to 13

Eleven firefighting units from Narayanganj, port and Sonargaon contained the flames around 9pm.

The extent of damage could not be known yet, he said.

Rab members arrested a man with a firearm and bullet from Sarankhola during a Friday morning raid.

Faruk Sepai, 51, was arrested with a foreign-made pistol, a bullet and a magazine from Amragachhia Bazar.

Also read: Cop held while selling firearm in Chattogram

Rab Khulna-6 said Sepai is a resident of Amragachhia village.

A Rab handout said they conducted a raid in the market place after being tipped-off that illegal firearms were being traded.

Also read: Two arrested, arms manufacturing factory busted in Noakhali

Sepai was arrested from spot and was later handed over to Sharankhola police.