The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Gouripur

The crime rate of some dishonest marriage registrars in Gouripur upazila of Mymensingh district is rising day by day.

The people of this upazila demand, a person who commits a crime must be punished by law. Besides there are some fake marriage registrars in this upazila. They are deceiving people identifying themselves either as marriage registrars or as assistants to the marriage registrars who were appointed by the Government.

Everybody knows that there is a law in Bangladesh, which forbids the marriage of a girl before the age of eighteen, nevertheless the majority of the girls in some rural areas of Gouripur upazila are married of before that age by some false marriage registrars. It is a punishable offence. Such fake marriage registrars commit some crime which has been mentioned by these to points. Number one. They do not pay money the government that they earn by registering marriages. Nubmer two : They can earn more evil money than real marriage registrars. Number three : They are involved in getting registered to the school- going students who do not attain physical and mental maturity Number Four : They have become more responsible when a school- going married girl becomes pregnant earlier and also falls victim to death due to early marriage. Number Five: They are also responsible for helping to create the growth of over population in Bangladesh as the teen-aged girls become mothers earlier. Number Six : They collect marriage register books at any cost from the government printing press without informing the government authority or from some dishonest kazis in the society. Number seven : At the time of marriage, the people do not know which books are legal or illegal and which Kazi is real or fake and who are assistants to the dishonest Kazis. They do not know that they are being deceived by the fake Kazi. Number Eight: They are conceived of as helpers of some dishonest Kazis and these dishonest Kazis get some evil money from them by giving in return Kaji's signature on their register books.

According to information, a fake Kazi was identified as Md Shafiqul Islam, son of late Habibur Rahman of Muhisharan village under Gouripur upazila in Mymensingh district.

Besides, on a source of information Md. Shafiqul Islam used to collect forged marriage registrar books from Nurul Bahar, who works as book- binder in the Government Printing Press. Nurul Bahar's village home is at Bairati near Govindapur Bazar of this upazila.

Shafiqul Islam may be good at forging his master's signature in order to deceive people. Every fake marriage register has a master who is appointed as marriage registrar, a dishonest man ; who guides them, and who earns evil money by using them.

Md. Shafiqul Islam told this correspondent he used to register marriages before, he completed five register books. He denied he fake marriage registrar. Besides, he is working as a marriage registrar's assistant under Kazi Feroz Ahmed who is appointed as a marriage registrar in Ward Nos.1, 2, 3 of Gouripur Pourashava and who is also a teacher of Shalihar Dakail Madrasah at village Shalihar.

Shafiqul added that he was a marriage registrar assistant under Kazi Abdul Bari, who has been appointed as marriage registrar of Achintapur union and who is also a teacher of Nurul Amin Khan High School in the town of Gouripur.

After twenty minutes of questioning the suspect, Md Shafiqul Islam confessed his crime for collecting forged register books. He also confessed that he had coillected some forged marriage register books from Nurul Bahar, a book binder.

When asked, Kazi Feroj Ahmed denied appointing his assistants in some areas of Gouripur upazila. He said, "A Kazi can appoint an assistant for the office as he is doing two jobs". In reply to the demands made by Md Shafiqul Islam, Kazi Feroj said "His demands are wrong and illegal. Md Shafiqul Islam is not his assistant and never will be." He added that a fake assistant named Abdus Sattar earns evil money showing his name. "A Kazi can borrow register books from another Kazi or Kazis' Samity after the completion of the registers books which are given by the government, said Kazi Feroj. He told this correspondent," Kazi Abdul Bari may have four assistants for the marriage registration in some areasa of Achintapur union".

When asked, Kazi Abdul Bari denied appointing four assistants for marriage purposes. He has appointed a man named Abdus Sattar for information. Md Shafiqul Islam, Abul Mansur, Abdul Huq, Nurul Islam, Nazrul Islam are not his assistants. They are fake marriage registrars in their respective areas. They are cheating the government and deceiving the people. They are also helping the illiterate people for the early marriage to earn evil money.

He added that he had never accepted any child marriage registration in his life. He can not accept the mentioned law and argument made by Kazi Feruj Ahmed.

About two months ago, a group of people led by A.K.M. Ehsanul Huq, UNO of Gopuripur upazila foiled an attempt to solemnise a child marriage at Nutun Bazar of Gouripur town.

A preparation was going on to solemnise an early marriage of primary school going student named Chameli at midnight. On information, the UNO with the group of people and some newsmen reached the spot at 11.30 PM and prevented the organisers from the early marriage. This news was published in different newspapers. However, some people said, after some days this girl named Chameli was married to the same bridegroom recently and their marriage was registered by the fake marriage registrar but the neighbours denied it.

Pointing to the fake Kazi and dishonest Kazi, a talk show on "Early Marriage" was jointly arranged by ACECC Association and ACECC English Language Club. Bangladesh can achieve a remarkable progress in checking the use of marriage register books and materials. The country also can reduce early marriages, the growth of over- population, fake marriage registrars, prejudicial acts, premature death of married girls, taking many children within or at the age 30 of a married woman, dowry system, etc. by reforming the marriage registration system.

Female Ward members or ward commissioners can certify the girls before their marriage. If they are fit, they will be given marriage certificates to marry within one year which was discussed in the talk show.

However, people demanded fake marriage registrars like Md Shafiqul Islam must be arrested on charge of forged marriage registration thus deceiving the people as early as possible.