SB-Sujon:
Even though Ashamoni, a 7th grade student who was the victim of child marriage, has broken her family, she does not have a marriage certificate, which is a famous tool for legal struggle. Father Jahangir Alam is standing around hoping for justice to save the life of the young girl. Even the ACC chairman is aware of the justice and the return of her daughter to a healthy life. Still, justice is not being received. Young housewife Ashamoni, daughter of Jahangir Alam of Karnapur Sarkartari village in Mogalhat union of Mogalhat Sadar upazila, is a student of class 8 of the local Mogalhat High School and the wife of Muazzin Nur Mohammad, son of Majidul Islam of the same area.
Locals and Ashamoni’s family said that Muazzin Nur Mohammad of the Sarkartari Jame Mosque next to the house used to teach the morning sermon in the mosque. Ashamoni, a 6th grade student of the local Mogalhat High School, used to attend the Maktab every morning before going to school. There, she met Muazzin Nur Mohammad. From acquaintance to love. Then, in 2022, Ashamoni, a 6th grade student, stayed at her boyfriend Nur Mohammad’s house at his call. When the matter came to light, the locals got Ashamoni and Nur Mohammad married.
However, since Ashamoni was 15 years old, the marriage was not registered with them, but a local imam performed the marriage according to Muslim Sharia. This unregistered child marriage became a nightmare for Ashamoni and her family. A few days after the wedding, her family accepted the marriage, thinking about her daughter. But since Nur Mohammad did not have a house to live in, they demanded money from Ashamoni’s family to build a house. Nur Mohammad kept Ashamoni in his father’s house until that house was built. Within 3 months of marriage, they had a dispute over various issues, including the money to build a house. Her husband Nur Mohammad stopped visiting and communicating with Ashamoni.
Although the family decided to take legal action to return the daughter to her family, it was not possible to accept it because there was no marriage certificate. On the other hand, if legal action is not taken, the husband Nur Mohammad is also not accepting his wife. Finally, denying the marriage, Ashamoni’s father Jahangir Alam filed a kidnapping and rape case against Nur Mohammad at Sadar Police Station on November 22, 2022. Sadar Police Station police conducted a medical examination of the victim Ashamoni after rescuing her from the house of accused Nur Mohammad.
The then gynecologist and surgeon of Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital, Dr. Elina Parveen, gave an opinion that there was no evidence of rape in the medical certificate. On the other hand, on March 23, the investigation report of the case was sent to the court by the investigation officer SI Mukta Sarkar. Where he requested the exemption of the accused Nur Mohammad from the case, claiming factual errors in the case. Following the plaintiff’s application, the court assigned the CID to re-investigate the case.
The people of the society started making various bad comments about their family around the case. Due to which, Ashamoni and her sister Ritamoni stopped going to school for fear of public shame. At that time, they were not even registered for class 8. Later, the school authorities removed their names from the register due to lack of registration.
Plaintiff Jahangir Alam complained at the ACC public hearing, highlighting the obstacles to the fair trial of his daughter Ashamoni. On April 21, at the public hearing in Lalmonirhat, ACC Chairman Dr. Mohammad Abdul Momen asked Sadar Police Station to explain, and the OC of Sadar Police Station said at the public hearing that the rape case was given finality due to the lack of witnesses. At that time, in response to Sadar Police Station, the ACC Chairman said that people are not cows or goats who will rape in front of everyone. The ACC Chairman urged Sadar Police Station to investigate the matter seriously and provide legal services. In view of which, CID Lalmonirhat entered the field to investigate the case.
Meanwhile, a local community took a stand against the plaintiff Jahangir Alam due to such an incident. After complaining to the ACC chairman in a public hearing, the community formed a human chain in front of his house last week and demanded the withdrawal of his false case. Ashamoni and his family have become socially isolated. The plaintiff Jahangir Alam has closed the homeopathy treatment center and is staying at home for fear of public shame. Ashamoni’s father Jahangir Alam wrote to the District Administrator and Superintendent of Police on April 15 to arrange for the girls to be readmitted. The educational life of these two young women is also on the verge of destruction.
A child marriage has dragged the entire family down financially and socially. On the other hand, Ashamoni’s husband, the former muezzin of the mosque, Nur Mohammad, has himself issued a fatwa and started a new family by marrying a close relative. When asked, Nur Mohammad said that if a husband and wife have no contact for four months, that wife gets divorced naturally. As more than four months have passed, my relationship with Ashamoni has ended automatically, so I married a close relative. Even if I did not divorce verbally or on paper, according to Islam, the divorce is effective.
Ashamoni said, I want to live with respect. I want to study and stand on my own feet. If the school authorities admit me, I want to be a school teacher again. At the same time, I want justice for Nur Mohammad. He has played with my life and put the whole family on the road. None of us in the family can go out due to public shame. He sought the intervention of human rights organizations.
Plaintiff Jahangir Alam said, I want justice for those who are playing with my daughter’s life. The defendants are roaming around in Birdarpa, managing everyone with the power of money. But we are the ones who are confined to our homes.
Mogalhat High School’s acting headmaster Saidul Islam said, Ashamoni and Ritamoni, two sisters, did not come to school for a few days after attending classes in the 8th grade and did not register. We thought that maybe it won’t happen because we got married. The number of marriages and divorces in the village schools is high. That’s why registration was not done. But now it will cost more to register by paying a fine. If we say the cost is high, will their father file a case against us? We didn’t say it out of fear.
Jamal Hossain, General Secretary of the National Youth Forum Central Committee, said that the victim of child marriage is not only Ashamoni’s family, but many such incidents are happening all over the country. The government will have to be strict to stop these marriages without registration. Although Lalmonirhat was declared free of child marriage 7/8 years ago, it has increased several times. If we fail to stop child marriage, many talented young women like Ashamoni will be swept away from society before they develop. Therefore, in addition to legal strictness, a social movement must be built to stop child marriage.
Lalmonirhat CID Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Prankrishna Debnath said, “It is believed that Ashamoni was a victim of child marriage. We are investigating the case seriously. A report will be submitted to the court after the investigation is completed.”
Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner HM Rakib Haider said, “Ashamani’s father’s complaint will be taken into consideration immediately and arrangements will be made to send her two sisters back to school.” The family’s issue was raised in a public hearing. The investigation is ongoing as per the directions of the ACC Chairman.
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