According to Section 19 of the law, a child marriage should not be considered an offence if it meant for the interest of an underage girl.
The risk grew even further as the number of raped girl children increased ever since the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017 was passed on February 27 with a special provision allowing underage marriage, they said.
Child abusers and rapists, as they claimed, are taking advantage of the law by creating situations to force the victims’ parents to marry their daughters off to them.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) organsied the programme titled National Consultation with Civil Society Organisations on Slum Dwellers Rights and Reality Challenges and Way Forward in Achieving Sustainable Developments Goals in Dhaka.
“Security of girl children in the country’s slums are under a great threat. The special provision of the Child Marriage Restraint Act has intensified the danger, causing rape incidents to increase,” said ASK Executive Director Sheepa Hafiza.
Referring to an estimate of the organisation, she also expressed her concern over the rape of underage girls and cases filed after the incidents.
Dr Mustafa K Mujeri, executive director of Inclusive Finance and Development (INM), said the percentage of rapes has gone higher this year so far compared to that of the same period in 2016.
“But, the problem is only 1% victim go to police seeking legal action,” said Mustafa.
According to a nationwide data of ASK, prepared based on newspaper reports, at least 51 girls, aged below 18, were raped between January and Mach this year. The number of gang-rape and attempted rape victims over the same period was 12 and 13 respectively.
According to Section 19 of the law, a child marriage should not be considered an offence if it meant for the interest of an underage girl.
The act also states the marriage has to be done conforming the directives of a court and that too, upon the consent of guardians.
On contrary, the law puts boys below 21 and girls under 18 years in the underage category, saying any marriage involving one or both parties below the legal age will be considered child marriage.
The provision has been garnering a wave of public criticism about the potential abuse of this provision, since the law was drafted.
This article was first published in the dhakatribune.com.