STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Marrying off children at an early age is a waste of the country’s most valuable asset, said Simeen Hussain, state minister for Women and Children Affairs, at a programme yesterday.

“If we invest in children, particularly girls, the returns will benefit the family, society, and the country,” she said while inaugurating a joint Global Programme to End Child Marriage at a Dhaka hotel.

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in Bangladesh, in collaboration with UNFPA and Unicef, launched the third phase of the programme.

“Eradicating child marriage is a keystone of our commitment to safeguarding the rights of children in Bangladesh,” said the state minister.

“We commend the collaborative efforts of UNFPA and Unicef and affirm our commitment to working closely and effectively to implement the National Plan of Action to End Child Marriage and roll out the Child Marriage Restraint Act.”

Keya Khan, director general of the Department of Women Affairs, said the early marriage rate rose to a new level during the Covid-19 period; however, the government is not sitting idle.

“We have been working on identifying the reasons behind it and working on impactful solutions to reduce the rate,” she added.

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