A recent study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the situation of child marriage in Cox’s Bazar found that its rates had increased significantly in the district since March 2021, with the largest increase of 82% in Eidgaon upazila .

According to the study conducted by the COAST Foundation in 32 trade union parishes and 3 municipalities in 9 upazilas in the district, it was also found that the second highest increase was 75 percent in Ukhiya upazila.

The results were presented today at a virtual press conference.

Jahangir Alam, Deputy Director of COAST presented the conclusions of the conference and he said that the increasing trends of child marriage were also observed in Ramu (72%), Teknaf (66%), Maheshkhali (61%) , Kutubdia (54%), Cox’s Bazar Sadar (51 percent).

Md Mujibul Haque Munir, co-director of the same organization, said child marriage absorbs 9 percent of women’s income and 1 percent of national income.

“Preventing child marriage by 2030 could save 11% of our education budget,” he said.

The study looked at 384 families as a sample by which they or their loved ones committed at least one child marriage in 2020 and 2021 and was conducted from August 4 to September 26, 2021.

Sixty-three percent of those polled said child marriage rates had increased during the pandemic, while 47 percent said school closures were the main reason for the increase in child marriage rates. Another major cause of the surge was the economic slowdown as well.

The conference was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of the COAST Foundation.