Introduction: USS is implementing Girl Power Project (GPP) in four upazilas of Nilphamari district with the partnership of Plan International Bangladesh. The goal of the project is to reduce gender based violence against girl and young women. To achieve its goal the project is working individual level, Civil Society level, Socio-cultural level and institutional level. Child marriage is the burning issues in working area. Though is a individual issue but creates many causes in the family as well in the society and country. To stop child marriage USS is implementing series of activities along with mentioned levels so that this curse can be stopped from the society. Before declaring child marriage free upazila many ground works have been done like ward committee formation, parents awareness session, orientation for boys and men on stop child marriage, union and upazila advocacy meeting, TFD show at ward level, task force committee at union and upazila level, task force committee meeting at union and upazila level, advocacy meeting with kazi and imam etc. According to its preparation upazila administration organized child marriage free upazila declaration ceremony with the help of USS and Plan International Bangladesh dated on 31st March, 2015 in the stadium field where more than 10,000 people from different sectors participated with Rally carrying banners, festoons.
Description: The declaration ceremony started at 10:30 AM. Divisional Commissioner, Muhammad Diluar Bokth, Rangpur division was chief guest in the declaration ceremony. In the first session of the program divisional commissioner, Rangpur inaugurated Benner writing “from now on Jaldhaka upzila is declared child marriage free upazila”. In the second session program chaired by Md. Zakir Hossain, district commissioner of Nilphamari. Special guests were Md. Jobadur Rahman, Police Super, Nilpamari, Alhaz Sayed Ali, upazila chairman, Md. Hasan Habib, UNO, Jaldhaka, Md. Elias Hossain Bablu, Moyer, Jaldhaka Municipality, Nurunnahar Begum, District women affairs officer, Dr. Hrisikesh Sarker, unit manager, Plan International Bangladesh, Alauddin Ali, Executive Director, USS, Abdul Oahed Bahadur, vice chairman, Riva Amzad, woman vice chairman and Md. Kamrul Alom Kabir, President of UP Chairman Forum, Jaldhaka.
Welcome speech was delivered by Md. Hasan Habib UNO. In the speech UNO described the definition of child marriage. “ it is not that suddenly we are declaring child marriage free upazila. We have done series of ground works and have awarded people about bad effect of child marriage. To create an example I have put into jail some of parents and marriage register so that child marriage can be stopped. With the assistance of USS and Plan International Bangladesh today we have organized the ceremony and from now on no child marriage will happen in the upazila. And if child marriage happened ultimately this responsibility comes to our shoulder” said UNO in his welcome speech. Alauddin Ali said that, declaration ceremony is the result of our previous activities. We have gone one step as development indicators by declaring child marriage free uapzila. If we work together it is possible to see a Nilphamari district as child marriage free district”. In the declaration ceremony survival feeling expressed Arjina Begum who attended in Asolo of Norway in 2013 in the child freedom convention. She explained her survival and how she has come up to this stage. She said to the young that , I humbly request you not to have child marriage but continue education so that you can make a good contribution to established justice society where no girl child will be treated and lost from us”. Dr.Hrisikesh Sarker, unit manager of Nilphamari, Plan International Bangladesh said that, “Though child marriage is an individual causes but hampers whole development. It is a great disease in the society. To ensure child rights Plan International is working in 72 countries globally so that girls can be empowered”. Keshab Roy, who received global youth courage award expressed his feelings regarding child marriage in the declaration ceremony. He said that I have stopped more than 80 child marriage with the help of union child forum, union parishad and upazila adiminstration. He requested upazila administration to put sign board in every point of union so that public can remember that this has been declared as child marriage union”. Vice chairman Abdul Oahed Bahadur said that, “it is not enough declaring child marriage free upazila but have to keep it up. If any marriage register occurs any child marriage he requested upazila administration to take hard action against it”. District women affairs officer Nurunnahar Begum requested all parents not to give any child marriage but to give education to their children. In the speeches of Police Super (SP) Md. Jobaidur Rahman said that “Child marriage is broken of dream of a child. It creates health problem as well as mental. He said to the marriage registers that who is conducting a child marriage is acting a killer role. He announced punishment of conducting child marriage if it marriage registers, parents or UP members. He assured all kinds of help from law enforcement department to stop child marriage”. Md. Zakir Hossain, district commissioner of Niphamari said that, “ Jaldhaka upazila has placed a first to declared child marriage free upazila in Bangladesh. He requested all people of Jaldhaka to keep it up”. Chief guest of the declaration ceremony divisional commissioner Mohammud Deluar Bokth said that, “ 31st, March is the historical day for the people of Jaldhaka. It has to be keeping it up for the betterment of the children and next generations. Perhaps this day can be observed as child marriage free day”. He appreciated activities of Keshab and Argina who have introduced Bangladesh globally as well Jaldhaka upazlia. He requested all people to raise their hands and say “No to child marriage”. All people of the declaration ceremony raised their hands and said no to child marriage. He expressed his thanks to upazila administration, USS and Plan International Bangladesh as well people of Jaldhaka for working on and organizing declaration ceremony.
Reported by:
Pobon Malo
PC, USS, Jaldhaka, Nilphamari
