Why govt shouldn’t be directed to digitise marriage reg: HC

The High Court yesterday wanted to know why the government should not be directed to take necessary steps to digitise marriage and divorce registrations to save people from fraudulence.

The HC issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why a direction should not be given upon them to take necessary steps to this effect.

In the rule, the court also asked the respondents to show causes why they should not be ordered to preserve the information of marriage and divorce registrations by developing a central website.

Secretaries to the ministries of law, religious affairs and information technology, and chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah came up with the rule after hearing a writ petition.

Aid for Men Foundation and three people collectively submitted the petition to the HC through lawyer Ishrat Hasan on March 4, seeking its directive on the respondents to digitise the marriage and divorce registrations.

During hearing, lawyer Ishrat Hasan told the HC that marriages and divorces are registered in accordance with the provisions of existing law which is an analogue system without any technological support.

As a result, any husband and wife whose marriage was registered in one jurisdiction can easily conceal it in another jurisdiction and enter into another marriage fraudulently concealing their previous marriage or marriages, the lawyer said.

She said marriage and divorce registrations need to be preserved on a website. So, people before their marriage will be able to verify whether their future spouses have any previous marriage or divorce records, which will reduce thousands of cases.

Deputy Attorney General Nawroz MR Chowdhury represented the state.