Authorities in Naogaon’s Atrai have stopped the marriage of a 12-year-old Class VII student, while five people were punished for allegedly obstructing officials and attempting to free the groom during the crackdown.
The marriage had been arranged with a young man, Al Amin, at the girl’s home in Samaspara village of Bisha Union on Saturday. Acting on information about the child marriage, Atrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Moniruzzaman and a mobile court team went to the spot and stopped the ceremony.
Al Amin was detained for his alleged involvement in arranging the marriage. However, as officials were taking him away, around 30 people from the bridal party allegedly blocked the UNO’s vehicle and tried to snatch the detained groom.
The group also allegedly obstructed government officials from carrying out their duties. Additional police led by Atrai Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mahbub Alam later reached the scene and brought the situation under control.
On Sunday morning, UNO Moniruzzaman said a mobile court had taken action against five people over the incident.
Under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017, the bride’s father, Jewel, and the groom’s father, Md Yanus Sheikh, were each fined Tk 20,000 for arranging the child marriage. Both men were also required to give written undertakings to comply with the law.
Three others Mannan, Md Rabbi Sheikh and Md Mahatab Ali of Samaspara were sentenced to one year, six months and one month of simple imprisonment, respectively, for obstructing officials and attempting to attack police, court staff and village police during the operation.
Several teachers, including former Samaspara High School managing committee president Munirul Zaman Munir, were reportedly present at the ceremony.
Some villagers alleged that Munirul encouraged members of the bridal party to attack the UNO’s vehicle and attempt to free the groom.
Munirul denied the allegation, claiming that the marriage had actually taken place two years ago and that only formalities remained.
He said he attended the ceremony because of a family relationship with the groom’s side and cooperated with the upazila administration.
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