Bangladesh parliament rejects a lawmaker proposal on banning marriage between employed men and women

With a view to resolving the unemployment problem, a law has been proposed in the National Parliament stating that employed men cannot marry employed women.

Independent lawmaker Rezaul Karim Bablu made the proposal, provoking rounds of laughter at the parliament.  

The Bagura-7 lawmaker said some four crore people lost their jobs during this Covid-19 pandemic. But there was a trend in the country of both men and women desiring to marry job holders, which fails to contribute to resolving the unemployment problem. 

"Given the situation, I would like to request the law minister present here to issue such a law so that employed men or women cannot marry another job holder. The unemployment problem would be reduced to a large extent if such a law can be implemented," said Bablu during a discussion on the amendment proposal of the Delimitation of Constituencies Bill, 2021. 

"There is another reason behind my proposal," said Bablu, adding that the children of the working parents are often tortured by the housemaids as the parents go out for work. 

However, Law Minister Anisul Haq termed the proposal unconstitutional. 

"I would not be able to move even two steps with this proposal. This is an unconstitutional proposal," said Anisul Huq. 

"I do not understand how this proposal came here (in parliament)," he said. 

"We have freedom of expression. He (Bablu) can say whatever he wants but I cannot accept on my whim. Because I am a representative of the public," the lawmaker added.