Girls of Any Age Can Be Married in Bangladesh With New Law
A vague new child marriage law in Bangladesh invokes the parental permission loophole setting no minimum age for marriage — an astounding turn of events that has human rights groups up in arms.
Over half of girls (52%) marry before the age of 18 in Bangladesh, and of those girls, 18% are younger than 15. In spite of protests over the law in Jan., the government’s parliament has approved what is called the “Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017,” which allows girls under 18 to marry with parental consent and a court. The law sets no minimum age, for the parental consent clause. It merely states that a marriage may be granted for “special cases” that adhere to the “greater good of the adolescent. Read more here: