‘Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2016’ approved in cabinet

Fixing the minimum age of girls for marriage at 18 and 21 for males, the Cabinet on Monday approved the draft of the ‘Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2016’.

 

Cabinet Secretary M Shafiul Alam told reporters in this regard at the secretariat about the draft law after the cabinet meeting on the day.

 

According to Cabinet Secretary, the approval came from the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

 

'The new law has been drafted in Bangla reorganizing the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929,' the Cabinet Secretary told the reporters.

 

The secretary also warned saying, 'In case of violation the provision has a maximum penalty of Tk1,00,000 along with two years of imprisonment.'

 

'Anyone under 18 years of age will be considered a child, but in cases of marriage any male under the age of 21 and female under the age of 18 will be considered minors,' according to the proposed law in this regard.