Investigation ordered into report of 85-year-old man marrying 12-year-old girl

The High Court has ordered an investigation into the alleged marriage of an 85-year-old man with a 12-year-old girl in Dewanganj, Jamalpur. The Jamalpur deputy commissioner has been directed to submit the inquiry report in this regard by Sunday.

A national daily on Saturday (21 November) published a report titled, ‘Groom 85 years, bride 12.’ After the report was brought to their attention, a High Court bench of justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and justice Shahed Nuruddin issued the verbal order to investigate the matter.

The public prosecutor for this court, deputy attorney general Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar, speaking to Prothom Alo, said he had brought the report to the court’s attention. Child marriage and also the village ‘salish’ to lash the old man were both unlawful.

He further said the High Court has verbally ordered the Jamalpur deputy commissioner to investigate the matter and submit a report in this regard by Sunday. The Jamalpur district superintendant of police and the officer-in-charge of the Dewanganj police station have been asked to assist in the investigation.

According to the news report, the marriage between an 8-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl took place in a village of Dewanganj, Jamalpur. The local people complained that the 85-year-old man was being forcefully punished for his 18-year-old grandson’s misdeeds. Following the village ‘salish’ (arbitration), the old man was lashed and forced to marry the child.