International Journal of SociologyAfrican Journal and Anthropology of Business Management Volume 6 Number 1 January 2014 VolumeISSN 2006 8 Number - 988x 2 January, 2014 ISSN 1993-8233 ABOUT IJSA The International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology (IJSA) is published monthly (one volume per year) by Academic Journals. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology (IJSA) is an open access journal that provides rapid Publication (monthly) of articles in all areas of the subject such as Socialization, post colonialism, kinship and Descent, Culture, ethnography etc. The Journal welcomes the submission of manuscripts that meet the general criteria of significance and scientific excellence. Papers will be published shortly after acceptance. All articles published in IJSA are peer- reviewed. 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Chew Assistant Professor Department of Sociology Pondicherry University Department of Sociology Pondicherry 605 014, Hong Kong Baptist University India. Kowloon Tong, Kowloon HKSAR, China. Dr. Rashid Solagberu Adisa Agricultural and Rural Development Specialist Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Dr. Eswarappa Kasi, Ph.D Development, Guest Faculty, University of Ilorin, Department of Anthropology, University of Hyderabad, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Hyderabad- 500 046, Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Joy Asongazoh Alemazung India. Lecturer and International Student Officer Hochschule Bremen (University of Applied Sciences) Dr. Hoon Chang Yau School of International Business (SIB) Assistant Professor of Asian Studies Werderstrasse School of Social Sciences Bremen, Singapore Management University Germany. Singapore. Dr. Julia Maria Wittmayer Dr. Stephen J. Hunt Scientific Researcher & Consultant Department of Sociology and Criminology, DRIFT (Dutch Research Institute for Transitions), Faculty of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of the West of England, The Netherlands. Bristol, UK. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Table of Contents: Volume 6 Number 1 January 2014 ARTICLES Review Child marriage in Bangladesh: Socio-legal analysis 1 Nahid Ferdousi Research Articles The role of religion in modern society: Masses opium or tool For development: A Case Study of Saw-Mill AreaIlorin, Kwara State, Nigeria 8 Akinfenwa Oluwaseun, FAGBAMILA OLUMIDE DAVID and ABDULGANIYU ABOLORE ISSA Genesis of bureaucratic power and its prospects of decline in India: A case study of Jammu and Kashmir 18 Humera Yaqoob Hyperheterosexualization and hypermasculinity: Challenges for HIV/AIDS intervention in the Caribbean Trinidad and Tobago 28 Wesley Crichlow Vol. 6(1), pp. 1-7, January, 2014 DOI: 10.5897/IJSA11.024 International Journal of Sociology and ISSN 2006- 988x © 2014 Academic Journals Anthropology http://www.academicjournals.org/IJSA Review Child marriage in Bangladesh: Socio-legal analysis Nahid Ferdousi School of Social Science, Humanities and Language, Bangladesh Open University, Bangladesh. Accepted 14 November, 2013 Child marriage is a strong social custom, particularly for girls in Bangladesh. There are many reasons for child marriage. But most vital reasons among them are poverty, superstition, lack of social security and lack of awareness. According to UNICEF report, „the State of the World‟s Children, 2009‟, “Early marriage is pervasive in Bangladesh, with 64 percent of girls married before age 18. Early pregnancy often results from child marriage; one-third of girls aged 15 to 19 in Bangladesh are currently either mothers or pregnant.” Although child marriage is prohibited legally, but occurrences of child marriage are still happening in rural areas of Bangladesh. According to the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929 the minimum legal age for marriage is 18 years for females in Bangladesh. Along with this Act child marriage is punishable by law. The right to free and full consent to a marriage is recognized in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and in many subsequent human rights instruments – consent that cannot be „free and full‟ when at least one partner is very immature. Bangladesh also acceded to the UN Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages on 5 October, 1998. These laws, however, have little impact on the frequency of child marriage in Bangladesh. Laws should be enforced to discourage child marriage; however, legal actors alone are insufficient. Social awareness programmes may also be effective in deterring child marriage. To prevent child marriage, a wide range of individuals and organizations need to create awareness among people, particularly the poor. Especially, parents and government can play main role in reducing child marriage. An environment should be ensured where children get proper care and facility to grow up completely and properly. This paper attempts to present the socio-economic and physical consequences of girl child marriage and its legal protection with awareness level of parents in rural Bangladesh. Key words: Child marriage, consequence, law, awareness. INTRODUCTION Children are the weakest and most unprotected segment Bangladesh (Badrud, 1990). Parents encourage marriage of the society. They are dependent upon parents and of their daughters while they are still children in hope that others for growing up. They need the support of the this marriage will benefit them both financially and family, community and the state as a whole. In Bangla- socially. Young girls are often regarded as an economic desh, a large number of children are deprived of their burden to their families; marrying them off at a very early basic human rights due to unacceptable health, nutrition age is seen as reducing the financial burden of the family. and education as well as social conditions. In addition, Parents encourage early marriage with a fear that their child marriage represents a major threat to children well dowry price will increase as their daughters age. Apart being in Bangladesh. At present, early marriage is one of from these, poverty is one of the most frequently cited the important demographic determinates of girl child in factors behind child marriage in rural Bangladesh. E-mail: [email protected]. 2 Int. J. Sociol. Anthropol. Statistics provided by Bangladesh Demographic Health Bangladesh, poverty-stricken parents are persuaded to Survey (BDHS-2005) show Bangladesh tops the world part with daughters through promises of marriage, or by when it comes to early marriage. Early marriage is one of false marriages, which are used to lure the girls into the reasons for increased populations in Bangladesh. prostitution abroad. There are many reasons for early marriage, but most vital reasons among them are: poverty, superstition and lack of awareness. Economic and social status While the practice affects both girls and boys, the most fundamental rights of a child