Criticism on child marriage restraint law unnecessary: Anisul

Law Minister Anisul Huq today said the criticisms on the special provision of the child marriage restraint law is useless and unnecessary, as the main provision of the law fixing 18 and 21 as the minimum marriageable age for women and men will remain in force.

The special provision has been included in the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017 in order to meet the urgent situation which is an exception, not the main provision, he said.

The minister came up with the remark while talking to reporters after a meeting on the occasion of inaugurating 135th refresher course for the additional district and sessions judges and their equivalent judicial officials at Judicial Administration Training Institute in Dhaka.

He said under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017 no girl can marry before 18 and no boy can marry before 21.

The law minister said if a marriage is necessary under the special circumstances, permission from the parents and court will be needed under the law.

If the special provision was not incorporated in the law, complexities would have been created, he added.