News & Politics - Classmates stop 13 year old girl's forced wedding

elisheva · 07-18-2007, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Child wedding 'stopped by pupils'

Classmates of a 13-year-old Bangladeshi school girl due to enter a forced marriage have united to stop the ceremony going ahead, police say.

Around 50 pupils in the town of Satkhira took to the streets to demand that Habiba Sultana's wedding be called off, they say.

Pupils even submitted a petition to police urging them to take action.

Police summoned Habiba's father and ordered him to stop the girl's marriage, which they said was illegal.

Her father was told to sign a bond in which he promised not marry off his daughter while she is still a child, the Bangladesh Daily Star reported.

It said that the wedding was to have taken place in the south-western town of Satkhira on Friday.

Police say that Habiba, a student of Abdul Karim Girls' High School, did not agree when her poverty-stricken father arranged for her to marry a 23-year-old neighbour.

Police say that she was too frightened to protest.

When she told her friends about the impending wedding, they rallied round and urged her not to go ahead.

Parents of her friends contacted Habiba's father and tried to stop him from going ahead with the wedding.

Initially he ignored their protests, but changed his mind after the police were alerted and small protests were held outside the school.

Correspondents say that the stand of the schoolgirls has created a stir in the town.

Like many other parts of the country - young people in Satkhira are deferential to their parents and seldom question their commands.
Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Child wedding 'stopped by pupils'

Published: 2007/07/13 10:30:15 GMT

© BBC MMVII

I thought this was so cool

What little heroines.

migamoo · 07-18-2007, 08:35 AM

I say good. No one should be forced to marry, especially at that young of an age.

New York City · 07-18-2007, 10:32 AM

Wow. I applaud her classmates for fighting for her.

Lexis · 07-18-2007, 11:09 AM

Aw, I think that's so awesome there aren't words! Its so good to see these girls are being empowered and standing up for their rights.

Papri · 07-18-2007, 02:57 PM

That is fantastic! My parents are Bangladeshi - it's great to see that amount of autonomous awareness of their rights in such young girls. It's illegal to marry below 16 (or maybe 18) in Bangladesh anyway.

Nab · 07-18-2007, 08:23 PM

It's good to hear that her classmates stood up for her and that they stopped the wedding.

welshgirlyUK · 07-19-2007, 06:30 AM

Theres something so heart warming about this, its nice to read news that involves people showing care for others for a change.

breakdown<3 · 07-19-2007, 11:20 PM

I'm so happy she didn't have to marry someone she doesn't even know. Thats sick that a 23 year old is willing to marry a 13 year old, what kind of a sick twisted person would do that, she's a child. What kind of father... there's too many things wrong with this situation.

Glad it ended happily. I can't imagine it's easy for her to live in her home though with her father, he must be angry,

-Kelly- · 07-28-2007, 02:12 AM

That's great news, she's far too young and he's too old for her, that's wrong. She's a young child turning into a teenager girl.

jalapeno_wildchild · 08-10-2007, 08:04 PM

that's cool news. i'm glad the girl didn't have to get married and it's nice to hear that she has friends who will stick up for her.

Bella Grint · 08-11-2007, 04:38 PM

That is crazy. I can see the situation her father is in but marrying off a child will not help poverty. This is like something out of an old movie.

I love her classmates for uniting to stop it, it shows a lot of good kids are coming in generations.

goodnightboy · 08-18-2007, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papri (View Post)

It's illegal to marry below 16 (or maybe 18) in Bangladesh anyway.

I know, but a lot of underage children are getting married anyway... hell, or even working.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella Grint

I can see the situation her father is in but marrying off a child will not help poverty.

I suppose it's because the dowry will be lower at such a young age, or simply that with her going to the groom's family, they'll be the ones who will have to clothe and feed her - so he's relieved of that financial burden. Poor parents in India and Pakistan and Bangladesh are sometimes forced to sell their children to middlemen to make them work in factories and the like, or into prostitution. There are tons of underage children working because there isn't enough money in the household... marriage is just another option of relieving financial problems. I'm not saying that I approve - far from it - but it is the reality.

**Astra** · 08-20-2007, 03:59 PM

A very cool article... thanks for sharing it

tv_junkie · 08-21-2007, 01:37 PM

I am glad she didn't have to get married thanks for the article!


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