How Tania stopped her own child marriage

While other students were preparing to enrol in college after completing secondary school, Tania of Satkhira was struggling to stop her own marriage. Meanwhile, the results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination were published. Astonishing everyone, she achieved not only a GPA of 5 but also A+ grades in every subject. She scored 100 out of 100 in chemistry and 99 in physics.

Yet she felt no joy at her remarkable achievement. Her mind was consumed by anxiety over her impending marriage and uncertainty about her future. Ultimately, thanks to the support of her teachers and her outstanding SSC results, the determined Tania managed to escape child marriage this time.

Today, Sunday, is the International Day of the Girl Child. This year’s theme is “End Child Marriage, Invest in Girls’ Rights”. The situation in Bangladesh, however, seems to tell a somewhat different story.

The latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UNICEF, shows that the rate of child marriage has fallen from 51.4 per cent in 2019 to 47.2 per cent. Nevertheless, among women aged 20–24, 47.2 per cent were married before turning 18, while 13.4 per cent were married before the age of 15.

The survey also found that the proportion of married women aged 15–19 rose from 32.9 per cent in 2019 to 38.9 per cent over the seven-year period. The adolescent birth rate has also increased. In 2019, there were 83 births a year for every 1,000 adolescent girls; by 2025, the figure had risen to 92.

Tania Khatun is 17. Just before her SSC examinations, she learnt that a marriage proposal had come for her. Neither she nor her mother wanted the marriage, but other family members put considerable pressure on them. They cited the family’s financial hardship, concerns about girls’ safety in society and various other reasons.

Tania did not know what to do. Under pressure, she eventually said she might agree on one condition: she must be allowed to continue her education after marriage. But the prospective groom’s family refused to accept even that condition.

News of Tania’s proposed marriage spread through her school and the surrounding area. Her hopes began to fade. But the story took a turn when Tania and her mother visited Akleema Khatun, the school’s information and communication technology teacher, with sweets to celebrate Tania’s excellent results.

Tania recalled that the teacher told her mother, “She has achieved such good results. How can you marry her off like this? We have taught your daughter for five years. We also have a claim on her future.”

The teacher, along with fellow teacher Foyezul Haque and local human rights activist Sakibur Rahman, then began trying to persuade Tania’s family to abandon the marriage plan.

Eventually, they took Tania to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), or upazila executive officer. The UNO spoke to her family, and mounting pressure from the authorities ultimately led them to withdraw the marriage decision.

Sakibur Rahman told Prothom Alo that the greatest source of strength in Tania’s struggle was her mother, who holds a master’s degree. She had opposed the marriage from the outset. An educated mother, he said, can provide the greatest courage in such adverse circumstances.

Tania has enrolled in the first year of higher secondary education in the science stream at Satkhira Government College. Her excellent SSC results have also earned her the opportunity to receive private tuition free of charge.

Tania’s story is an inspiring one. But very different stories are also common. The main causes of child marriage are said to include school dropout, financial hardship within families, social customs and weak enforcement of the law. Inadequate birth registration is also seen as a major obstacle. A 2025 survey found that only 59.2 per cent of children under five had been registered at birth.

Under the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, the minimum legal age for marriage is 18 for women and 21 for men. However, exceptions are allowed in certain circumstances. If a marriage involving a minor takes place in the best interests of the minor, with a court order and parental consent and in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the rules, it is not considered an offence under the Child Marriage Restraint Act.