Early Marriage in Satkhira
Court orders arrest of notary public, marriage registrar
Our Correspondent, Satkhira
A court in Satkhira has issued arrest warrants against a notary public and a marriage registrar for registering an early marriage by showing a minor girl as an adult. The court also ordered police to include two others in the list of accused, earlier dropped from the charge sheet submitted by the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case, court sources said. Judge Motazidur Rahman of Women and Children Repression Preventive Court passed the orders Thursday after hearing a 'naraji' petition filed by the plaintiff, father of the minor girl. The court issued arrest warrants against notary public advocate ZM Abdullah and marriage registrar Maulana Ibrahim Khalil in Sadar union in Assassuni upazila. The two others ordered to be listed in the list of accused are Abdus Samad and his son Yarul Islam of Panchnol village in Kalaroa upazila. According to court sources, the accused Azharul Islam son of Abdus Samad of Panchnol village and his younger brother Yarul Islam abducted a 13 year-old madrasha student Asia Khatun, daughter of Shawkat Ali of the same village, on August 28 last year. They took her to Assassuni upazila head quarters. There she was married to Azharul. Marriage registrar Maulana Ibrahim Khalil registered the marriage by ignoring her minor age. Later, the accused managed a marriage declaration by showing her age 19 years through an affidavit done by notary public Z M Abdullah, sources said. Victim's father Shawkat Ali filed a case with Kalaroa thana under the Women and Children Repression Preventive Act, accusing Azharul and Yarul Islam and their father Abdus Samad. After investigation, police submitted charge sheet against Azharul Islam and dropped two other accused --Yarul Islam and his father Abdus Samad. Plaintiff Shawkat Ali filed a 'naraji' petition before the court. While issuing arrest warrants, the court observed, "It is illegal and motivated and they (notary public and marriage registrar) collaborated with the accused to perform such illegal activities". The court also included Abdus Samad and his two sons Azharul Islam and Yarul Islam in the list of accused. The court granted bail to Abdus Samad but rejected the bail prayer of the main accused Azharul Islam and sent him to jail. The other accused Yarul Islam is absconding since the incident, court sources said. The plaintiff submitted a prayer to take his pregnant daughter Asia Khatun under his custody but the court sent her to 'safe custody' in jail as she refused to go with her father.
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