<i>Tip of the iceberg</i>

Believe it or not, 13 underage girls of Char Ganga village of Barabaishdia union under Rangabali upazila were married off in last one month, bearing testimony to large-scale prevalence of child marriage in remote areas of the district.
In most cases, bridegrooms of these girls are also below the marriageable age.
Popi Begum, 13, daughter of Abdul Latif, a marginal farmer of the village, was married with Nazrul Islam, 17, son of Sarwar Mia of Kazirhowla village under same upazila on Friday night.
Shilpee Begum, 12, daughter of Ismail Majhi, also a class six student of Rangabali Hamidia Mohila Madrasa, was married with Sujon, 18, of Chatianpara on Tuesday night.
Reshma Akther, 12, daughter of Nizam Mia, Nilufa, 12, daughter of Shahjahan Mojumder, Marium Akther, 12, daughter of Kabir Hossain, Mousumi, 11, daughter of Mosharef Mia, Tanzila, 12, daughter of Nasu Mia, Zulia, 13, daughter of Zakir Hossain, Sonia, 12, daughter of Babul Mia, Keya Moni, 12, daughter of Kishore Farazee of Char Ganga village were also married during the last one month.
"My daughter is not attentive to her studies. She will not be a service holder. But she has reached marriageable age. So I arranged her marriage," said Mosharef Hossain, father of Mousumi Akther, a class four student of Char Ganga Registered Primary School.
Jasmin Begum, mother of Keya Moni (who passed class five in 2011) said, "Some youths of the village started disturbing my daughter on the way to her school. She is already matured. So we arranged her marriage. Now we are tension-free."
Md Solaiman, headmaster for Char Ganga Registered Primary School, said at least five girls who were studying in classes four or five or just passed the primary terminal examinations from the school were married off in last one month. They are aged between 12 to 14 years.
Sona Mia, member of ward No 5 of Barabaishdia UP, said most of the people of Char Ganga village are poor and they often lack awareness about the necessity of education and bad effects of chid marriage."
"Social security is also a factor behind child marriage as most girls face stalking on the way to school. We are trying our best to increase awareness over the matter," he said.
Villagers said Mahtab Uddin, imam of a local mosque, conducted most of the child marriages in the village.
Asked about the matter, Mahtab said, "I conducted six marriages in last two weeks. Papers of three of the marriages were sent to the office of the kazi (marriage registrar) as they showed birth registration certificates issued by local UP. The three others are still to be registered as they failed to show birth certificates."
Maulana Md Elias, marriage registrar of the UP, also superintendent of Gabbunia Dakhil Madrasa, said, "I don't register any child marriage. However, I came to know that Mahtab Uddin conducted child marriage in the area illegally by introducing himself as my assistant."
Several villagers said in most cases guardians collect birth registration cards from the UP office showing their son or daughter as of marriageable age.
Reaz Uddin, secretary for Baranaishdia UP, said, "Earlier some guardians took birth registration certificates for their children by telling the age. Now we are not issuing any birth registration certificate without presence of the girl or boy concerned."
Mahe Alom, OC of Rangabali police station, said, "We will take step after proper investigation about the alleged child marriages."
Md Liakot Ali, upazila nirbahi officer of Rangabali, said, "I am collecting all information over the matter. We will conduct awareness building programme to prevent child marriage in the area."
In many cases, child marriages result in break-ups within a short period and the girls become burden for the poor parents, locals said.