As a professional trainer of English, I have taught thousands of people coming from a diverse range of backgrounds and age groups. Of them, a significant percentage are women who dream of reaching their full potential.

However, most of their parents dream only of one thing for their daughters—to get them married off to someone who is decent and responsible. It is true that women in our country enjoy more freedoms and are better educated today than they were 20 years back. But have they changed the situation enough for our girls? The answer is a big no. I have seen aspiring and meritorious girls prepare for a specific exam worrying that if they don't pass, they might have to get married straight away.

There are reasonable parents out there who promise their daughters of a future they want. But, in most cases, these promises end up with statements like: "you can do whatever you want after you get married."

The bottom line is, marriage is an important part of life which must come at the right time for a girl, i.e., when she is mentally ready.

Sadly, even though women in Bangladesh cover around 50 percent of the total population, they have to overcome so many challenges and hurdles, including being forced to get married before they are ready to do so. This has to change. As a society, we must ensure our girls get the opportunity to flourish.