Hindu marriage registration law passed

Dhaka, Sep 18 (bdnews24.com)—Parliament on Tuesday passed the Hindu marriage registration law keeping the provision of registration optional.

It aims to provide legal and social protection to members of the Hindu community, particularly safeguard women from marriage-related cheating.

State Minister for Law, Justice and parliamentary Affairs Qamrul Islam moved a bill on the law that was passed by voice vote. It was placed in Parliament on July 3.

He said the law was being formulated since there was no such law in the country to register the marriages of Hindus.

He said the marriage of a Hindu couple is held under religious customs and so has no documents. "Due to absence of documented evidence both parties especially the Hindu women are subjected to cheating," he added.

The law would authorise the government and the local government authorities to appoint a marriage registrar to be known as Hindu Marriage Registrar at every ward of the city corporation or municipality and upazilla. The bride would have to be minimum 18 years old and the groom 21 years.

The law also aims to ensure the rights of married daughters who are deprived of most of their rights, including their equal rights or inheritance to the parental property as well as husband's property. As per the law, without any specific reason polygamy is a punitive offence.

bdnews24.com/sum/skb/bd/2143h