Imams to campaign against early marriage, dowry

The seminar on 'Ways to Prevent Early Marriage and Dowry' was organised by Amar Sonar Paribar'( my golden family), a newly floated organisation comprising local people. It was held at the Rishilpi auditorium here with assistance from an Italian NGORishilpi--working against early marriage and dowry. Rishilpi Director Enzo Falcone attended the seminar.

Speakers there said lack of knowledge about bad effects of early marriage, religious superstitions, ignorance and absence of social awareness were the main reasons behind early marriage, marriage without registration and dowry.

District Registrar Wahidunnabi was the chief guest while Laura Milano and school teacher Shahjahan ali were special guests.

It was addressed by Italian national Jack Eccles, president of district marriage registrars' association Maulana ATM Samsul Alam, Imam and marriage registrar Maulana Sirajul Islam, Maulana Ashrafuzzaman Khokon, Khorshed Alam, Shafiul Haque, Safi Siddique, Sagar Roy, teacher Laila Parvin Sejuti, lawyer Nurul Islam, Dr. Sadhan Chandra Das, Nazmul Kabir, priest Bishnu Pada Chakraborty, Manira Parvin and Jyotsa Khatun.

The audience vowed that they would neither accept nor give dowry and that they would launch a campaign against.

The speakers said dowry is opposed to Islam. This is destroying families and claiming lives, they said.

Laura Milano, Rector of Rishilpi, said women repression because of early marriage and dowry is a common incident in Bangladesh.

She urged villagers to form early marriage resistance committees to eliminate the social curse. Lack of women's education and self reliance are the reasons for early marriage and dowry, she said.

Enzo Falcone, director Rishilpi, thanked the participants including imams, marriage registers and matchmakers for their positive response to the noble ideas.