Govt to form 6,200 quick response teams to curb child marriage
Relevant laws are being amended to support the initiative, officials say
The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has announced plans to form 6,200 quick response teams across the country to combat child marriage.
Officials said relevant laws are being amended to support the initiative.
The announcement was made during an event titled "Policy Dialogue to Prevent Child Marriage" held today (24 July) at the Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka. The event was jointly organised by development organisation Poppy and the Bangladesh Open Source Network (BDOSN), with support from the Malala Fund.
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Speakers at the dialogue stressed the need for stronger enforcement of child marriage prevention laws and called for broader social efforts, including expanding women's education, promoting gender equality, and empowering women to bring about meaningful change.
Prakash Kanti Chowdhury, joint secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, said, "Government efforts alone are not enough to eliminate child marriage. A shift in public mindset is crucial. Without societal change, even the best laws will fall short."
He added that the ministry is moving forward with the formation of quick response teams at the district and upazila levels.
"Around 6,200 teams will be set up nationwide to take prompt action against child marriage," he said.
Md Sajjadul Islam, additional director of the Department of Social Services, noted that 500 social workers have already been deployed for this purpose, and the recruitment process for more is ongoing.
Swapan Kumar Halder, deputy director of the same department, highlighted the importance of involving the youth by forming community-based youth groups to prevent child marriage.
POP Executive Director Murshed Alam Sarkar said, "No matter how many development initiatives we undertake, if child marriage continues, that progress won't be sustainable—it will be repeatedly undermined."
Other speakers included BDOSN President Munir Hasan, POP Deputy Executive Director Sajedul Hasan, former Country Representative of the Malala Fund Mosharraf Tansen, and POP Director Ferdousi Begum.
