The High Court today wanted to know why the government should not be directed to take necessary steps to digitise marriage and divorce registrations to protect people from fraudulence.

HC issued a rule asking the authorities concerned of the government to explain in four weeks why a direction should not be issued to take necessary steps to this effect.

In the rule, the court also asked the respondents to "show cause" why they should not be ordered to preserve the information of marriage and divorce registrations by developing a central website.

Secretaries to the ministries of law, religious affairs and information technology and chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah came up with the rule after hearing a writ petition filed seeking necessary directives on this issue.

Rights organisation Aid for Men Foundation and three victims collectively submitted the petition to the HC through lawyer Ishrat Hasan on March 4, seeking its directive on the respondents to digitise marriage and divorce registrations.

The three victims, who filed the petition, are -- Md Rakib Hasan, former husband of Tamima Sultana who married cricketer Nasir Hossain, Md Sohag Hossain and Md Kamrul Hasan.

During today's hearing, lawyer Ishrat Hasan told the HC that marriages and divorces are registered in accordance with the provisions of existing law which is an analogue system without any technological support.

As a result, any husband and wife whose marriage was registered in one jurisdiction can easily conceal it in another jurisdiction and enter another marriage fraudulently concealing his or her previous marriage or marriages, the lawyer said.

She said the registration of marriages and divorces need to be preserved on a website. So, any man or woman before marriage will be able to verify using such website whether their future spouse has any previous marriage or divorce record, which will reduce thousands of such cases.     

Deputy Attorney General Nawroz MR Chowdhury represented the state.