Nari Nirjatn Nirodh Committee (NNNC) of Sundarban and Fazilpur union of Dinajpur Sadar Upazila under Dinajpur district has taken an effectual and noticeable initiative to protect early marriage. Two letters individually signed by Md. Mobarok Ali Shah, Chairman 3 No. Fazilpur UP and Md. Abu Bakkar Siddique, Chairman, 2 No. Sundarban UP has provide (as notice) to the Imam, Purohit and Marriage Registrar (Kazi). In this letter they are requested not to execute any early marriage any way. Mentioning “Executing early marriage is a punishable crime” in that letters and adds more that, early marriage lead to occur violence, and violence against women suppresses talents and potentials of children, they deprived from education as fundamental rights and pushes them to be abused and fallen scare. They can not contribute to the family, society and the country. Adverse effect of early marriage is not only for individual its effect falls on every one living in family and society also. So women-men everyone should have one platform to protest and protect early marriage. Our accord initiative can stop early marriage in the society. Two UP chairman declared that, `we have taken initiative’ on behalf of NNNC and SSG in our community. Nobody can execute any early marriage if you all stand on defend. Without their consent no early marriage can execute and complete, they have the authority to administer and registry marriage. So we want to attach all of you with the initiative or movement until and unless we could be able to stop the early marriage. In these letters also mentioned that, if you build awareness about the bad effects or despondency of early marriage it must be effective in the community. The chairmen assured them for any kind off support from the chairmen is available. Carbon copies (Cc) of those letters have provided to UNO Dinajpur sadar upazila, OC Katwali thana and ED JSKS.
Why the initiative? In the answer Md. Mobarok Ali Shah has said that USHA and JSKS work with some development agenda and formed NNNC and SSG by their facilitation and initiatives. Project has conducted Gender sensitivity training, orientation and workshops. Thus the members of NNNC and SSG become gender sensitive on the other hand they put effective contribution to enable women friendly environment. NNNC and SSG continuing monthly meeting regularly where presented, analyzed, criticized relating issues and the decision of including Imam, Purohit and Marriage Registrar (Kazi) with the movement has taken through these forum.
Without that there has to face many challenges to proceed this movement marriage-seeker parents make the NNNC and SSG enemy, the unaware parents or family members put out of sight and complete the marriage of under adult children. In some of cases parents maximized age from Notary Public. In that way the Chairmen already informed UNO about all of the consent matters and requested to take more actions to get stop in the way. There were decided that JSKS has to follow-up the actions of the movement, initiative and the Imams, Purohits and Marriage Registrars (Kazi) should be attend at Upazial Coordination meeting. This initiative already succeed near to the benchmark and this kind of initiative can make sustainable change towards broadly development of society.
