Joy also defends child marriage in special cases

Staff Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ICT affairs adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has defended the government`s decision to allow "conditional" child marriage, pointing out that several states in the US allow marriages of girls as young as 12.

“Almost every single state allows girls under 18 to get married either with court or parental consent,” Sajeeb Wazed Joy wrote on his official Facebook page citing summary of marriage laws in the US as published by Cornell Law School.

Citing examples of marriages of girls at early age in the US, he said almost every single state allows girls under 18 to get married either with court or parental consent. The minimum age varies, with some states as low as 12 years of age and one state with no minimum age. Court consent is often contingent on pregnancy, etc.

He questioned that if such exceptional cases in marriage are allowed in the US, then why it will not be applicable for Bangladesh?

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, also Prime Minister’s son, shared his views in marriages of girls under 18 on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.

He wrote at his status: I wanted to share this summary of marriage laws in all of the 50 states of the United States of America, as published by Cornell Law School, one of the topmost law universities in the world. Almost every single state allows girls under 18 to get married either with court or parental consent. The minimum age varies, with some states as low as 12 years of age and one state with no minimum age. Court consent is often contingent on pregnancy, etc.

This goes against the arguments of those who are criticizing our current Child Marriage Act. Our revision of the law only allows marriage of a girl under 18 with parental and court consent in exceptional circumstances. This is exactly the same as the law across the USA. If these exceptions are OK in the US, why are they not OK in Bangladesh?

risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 8, 2016/Mithun/Amirul