They also underscored the need to enact a law that will not permit registration of marriage without the bride and bridegroom having birth registration certificates.

They also identified the absence of the rule of law and the degradation of social and moral values as major obstacles to preventing child marriage.

South Asia Partnership (SAP)-Bangladesh organised the national workshop titled 'The role of marriage registrars and matchmakers to prevent child marriage' at Cirdap auditorium in the city under its project 'Women's rights' supported by Manusher Jonno Foundation.

Speaking as the chief guest, former adviser to the caretaker government Sultana Kamal stressed the need to establish a system to properly monitor the implementation of birth registration law.

Criticising the existing law regarding the prevention of child marriage, Sultana Kamal, also the executive director of Ain O Shalish Kendra, called for amendment to the law by incorporating provisions specifying the role of marriage registrars in checking child marriage.

She also called for mobilising political will to ensure accountability and changing the mindset at all levels of society to this end.

Speaking as the special guest, Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam underscored the need to recognise women's social and reproductive roles in order to safeguard their dignity.

Presenting the keynote paper, Reazul Haque, coordinator of the project 'Women's rights', said the rate of child marriage in urban areas has come down due to advancement in society, but it is quite high in rural areas largely because of poverty and superstitions.

According to a survey conducted by Steps Towards Development in 2005, one girl in every two and one boy in every 20 aged between 10 and 19 are married and the country ranks third in the world with regard to child marriage, he said.

Although the government and non-government organisations (NGOs) have been working to prevent child marriage, the rate has fallen by only two percent in the last 30 years, he quoted from the report.

He also pointed out that marriage registrars often cannot do anything to prevent child marriage in the absence of birth registration certificates.

Executive Director of Mass-line Media Centre Kamrul Hasan Monju suggested arranging training for the marriage registrars and matchmakers to motivate them to prevent child marriage.

He also called for provision of tougher punishment in order to check child marriage.

Marriage registrars, UP chairmen and representatives from NGOs from the project areas took part in the workshop.

The speakers said marriage registrars and matchmakers must be accountable to the authorities for their action.

They also suggested incorporating the issue of child marriage into textbooks to make the children aware of its negative impacts.

Executive Director of Acid Survivors Foundation Monira Rahman and Prof Dr Sadeka Halim also spoke at the workshop.