Advisor Sharmeen slates former Awmi League government for lowering marriage age

The advisor calls marriage law change a threat to child protection progress

Social Welfare Advisor Sharmeen S Murshid has said the now-removed Awami League government created a “dangerous precedent” by legally enabling underage marriage through an exception in the 2017 child marriage law.

Speaking at an event marking World Day Against Child Labour at the Film Development Corporation (FDC) on Saturday, she said a government that operated under “authoritarian values” could not be expected to deliver sensitive or responsible policies.

She pointed to the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017 (CMRA) which, despite setting marriage age limits at 21 for men and 18 for women, allowed courts to approve marriages below that age in “special circumstances”.

That clause, the advisor said, undermined years of progress in fighting child marriage and made hard-won gains “unsustainable”.

The event, hosted by Debate for Democracy, featured a mock parliament session focused on raising awareness of child labour and harmful social practices.

Sharmeen also spoke on child labour, saying no society that fails to eliminate dowry or child marriage through law alone can expect to end child labour the same way.

She called it a “violation of rights” and said any economy allowing it “lacks” moral credibility.

“Poverty and child labour are deeply intertwined,” she said.

Sharmeen called for poverty reduction to be prioritised.

She stressed that the state, society, private sector and development partners must act in coordination to tackle the problem.