Too late an intervention

When Nurul Haque Chowdhury, headmaster of Paschim Madarbari City Corporation Balika Bidyalaya, heard that one of his students, 14-year-old Ishrat Jahan Eka, was getting married, he took immediate steps to stop the wedding, but the intervention came a little too late.

After being informed that Eka was to get married on Monday, Nurul immediately informed officials of "Meyeder Jonno Nirapad Nagorikotto", a project run by Brac to protect girls from sexual harassment and stop child marriage, but they could not stop the wedding allegedly because police did not take timely action.

However, police did extract a bond from Eka's guardians that they would not formally give the girl away to her in-laws until she turns 18.

Talking to The Daily Star, Nurul said, "Some classmates of Eka informed me that she was crying as her parents were going to marry her off. I informed the matter to Brac officials."

Mehedi Hasan, sector specialist of the project of Brac, said they quickly went to Double Mooring Police Station and requested them to stop the wedding, but police said they could not do anything without a formal complaint.

He said they then contacted Rehana Begum Ranu, president of the Fight for Women Rights, and requested her to do something.

However, denying the allegation, ASM Nurul Alam Talukder, officer-in-charge of the police station, said Rehana informed the matter to them and they immediately instructed the police team deployed in Madarbari area to stop the wedding.

Rehana said she filed a general diary with the police station, adding that by the police reached the house it was too late.

She said they would monitor the situation so that the parents could not hold a formal marriage ceremony until Eka was 18.