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Guardians at stake

Bridegrooms demand high dowry

From Our Correspondent
THAKURGAON. Feb 19 : The marriage of girls In five upazlla# of Thakurgaon district Is being hampered due to the demand of dowry by the bridegrooms
According to a report, there are nearly 1000 marriageable girls tn Thakurgaon Sadar. Plr ganj. lialladangi Ranisankall and Harlpur upazilaa of the district. Most of them belong to poor farmers families who are facing obstacles because of the excessive demand of dowry.
The financial condition of the guardians of the unfortunate girls has deteriorated to a large extent since the independence as the successive Governments have increased different taxes on the farmers The Governments have also Increased the process of agri in puts which have now gone beyond the purchasing capacity of the farmers On the other hand, the price of jute and other agricultural products has gone down. The price of chemical fertilizers exceeded 30 times than that of tl>e pre-11 be ration period A shallow tubewell is selling now at Taka 40.000 against Taka 10.000 a few years back. The economic backbone of the farmers has been shattered.
One Abdul Mannan of Mohal Bart told this correspondent that he could not arrange mar riage of his daughter because of bridegrooms high dowry demand
The Government has introduced Anti dowry Act in which remains confined within law books. Its effectiveness Is not seen anywhere. It is alleged.
The authorities should take necessary steps to enforce the Anti-dowry Act so that the guardians of marriageable girls can get rid of this social evil.
Price of building materials up
The construction and repairing works of rural houses tn Thakurgaon district is being hampered due to scarcity and high prices of house building materials like C.l. sheets, cement. bamboo, straw and rope.
Prices of building materials in the district went up* by 20 per cent. The people of rural areas of Pirganj. Baliadangl. Harlpur and Rantsankall of I lie district can not afford to pur chase Imhisc building materials at on exorbitant price.
Price of bamboo has Jnmped to Taka 55 from Taka 30 per piece. Col leaves sell at Taka 60 as against Taka 40 per bundle. A 'kahone' of straw is being sold at Taka 40 as against 25 Mango wood sells at Taka 250 per cubic feet while Jack and blackberry sell at Taka 374 per cubic feet. At present, at least Taka 20.000 is re qulred to construct a kutcha tiouse.
The supply of C.l. sheets In the focal markets has awftJIy fallen The C.l. sheets are sold at such an exorbitant price that majority people can hardly afford to buy it. and the imported C.l sheets are totally absent in the market
On the other hand, the prices of bricks, rod and cement are also high hampering construction works of pucca houses. Bricks sells here between Taka 2000 and 2100 per thousand as against Taka 1500 io 1600 Cement price has doubled