The girl was sitting on the second bench of the classroom. Among a group of girls wearing school uniforms, she was the only one dressed in a sari. Naturally, she drew everyone’s attention.
Girls usually wear saris when there is a special event at school. But why had only one girl come wearing a sari today? Was there an event outside school? Or it’s something else?
This girls’ secondary school is located in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira, 18 kilometres from the upazila headquarters. I came across this scene while visiting the school on 22 September to learn about the child-marriage situation there.
Costal upazila Shyamnagar is the most child-marriage-prone area in Satkhira district.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS)’s ‘Small Area Estimation’ report, more than 62 per cent of girls in Satkhira are married before the age of 18. The child-marriage rate is 63 per cent in Shyamnagar alone. Among all districts, Satkhira ranks eighth in child marriage.
Many students at this school are victims of child marriage. After speaking to teachers and students it was revealed that families often start marrying off girls once they reach class six. By the time they reach class ten, nearly half of the class is already married. Most girls who get married do not return to school and their education comes to a complete end.
Teachers and students shared many stories of girls fighting against child marriage. It was learnt that among the current batch of class ten students at the school, 20 girls have been married. Only one of them has returned to school, this girl in the sari.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS)’s ‘Small Area Estimation’ report, more than 62 per cent of girls in Satkhira are married before the age of 18. The child-marriage rate is 63 per cent in Shyamnagar alone. Among all districts, Satkhira ranks eighth in child marriage.
The school uniform consists of a white kameez (tunic) with brown scarf and trousers. Unlike other schools, students here do not commonly wear the scarf in a cross style and the older girls usually drape it over their shoulders. The school is not particularly strict about uniforms but, still students coming to class in saris is extremely rare.
The girl in the sari, sitting quietly on the second bench, smiled shyly when I looked at her. I couldn’t help asking, “Why have you come to class wearing a sari?” She replied instantly, “I always come to class wearing a sari.”
In between chitchats, she explained that she got married last year. After the marriage, her in-laws didn’t want her to study anymore. Her husband didn’t want it either. But after repeated requests from her teachers and herself, her in-laws finally agreed to let her attend school again. She has been coming to school for the past five months.
The girl said, “They (my husband and in-laws) said they wouldn’t let me go to school unless I wore a sari. If I wear the uniform, tunic and trousers, people will talk badly. I want to continue studying. That’s why I agreed to come to school wearing a sari.”
Teacher’s efforts made it possible
The girl’s husband works as a welder. He is 20 years old and studied up to class eight. When I pointed out that this meant her husband, too, was married early, the girl smiled and shook her head.
According to the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017, marriage of a girl under 18 and a boy under 21 is considered child marriage.
Teachers expressed regret about the girl’s early marriage. They said her father is a cycle-van puller. She is the second among two sisters and one brother. The older sister completed SSC from the same school, and the brother is younger.
The acting headmaster of the school told Prothom Alo that the girl married of her own choice. Her father informed the headmaster about the marriage two days after the wedding. She is a bright student, so the headmaster requested her husband and in-laws to allow her to continue her education. But they right out refused at first.
I asked the girl, “Will you continue with your studies?” She replied, “Of course I want to study. I want to sit for my SSC exam. Let’s see what they (in-laws) say.”
The acting headmaster said, “I contacted people the family listens to. Through them, we finally convinced the husband and the in-laws. But they agreed on one condition, she must come to school wearing a sari. The school has a uniform. But I thought, if wearing a sari allows her to continue her studies then let her come in a sari. Let her continue for as long as she can.”
When asked whether the girl would sit for her SSC exam, the headmaster said, “She really wants to take the exam. Let’s see what her in-laws decide.”
The teacher sounded frustrated. Despite efforts to stop child marriage, teachers are unable to prevent it. Many parents marry off their daughters because of poverty, lack of awareness, or safety concerns. In many cases, the boys and girls themselves choose to marry early.
I asked the girl, “Will you continue with your studies?” She replied, “Of course I want to study. I want to sit for my SSC exam. Let’s see what they (in-laws) say.”
‘Dishonest marriage registrars also fuel child marriage’
Mina Habibur Rahman, the upazila academic supervisor of Shyamnagar Secondary Education Office, said there are 36 madrasas and 82 secondary schools in the area with a total of 1,012 students, of whom, 800 are girls.
The official said that due to child marriage, by the time students reach class ten, only about 30 per cent of girls remain in schools while about 50 per cent girls remain in madrasas.
Mina Habibur Rahman added that dishonest marriage registrars also fuel child marriage. They maintain two registers, one for legally eligible marriages shown to the administration, and another hidden register where child marriages are recorded but not legally registered. As a result, when girls face abuse and seek divorce, they cannot access legal protection.