Badar Uddin protects minor girls from getting married

During his twelve-years in ‘social service’, 63-year-old Badar Uddin has developed his leadership skills and is now an elected member in the Union Council [local government].

In his ward [administrative unit of Union Council], he moderates 8,000 villagers, creates awareness on citizen rights and responsibilities, keeps law-enforcement in order, and executes government’s rural development agendas at a grassroots level.

As a father of three, Badar Uddin supports his family by selling bricks and sands, which he's done since he was married in 1978. Inspired by his ancestral family to begin social projects, he started supporting poor people financially by paying their medical bills, schooling fees, and wedding expenses.

His advocacy efforts help protect the community from trafficking and prevent girls from early marriage.

In Bangladesh, civil laws dictate that the minimum legal age for marriage is 18 for women and 21 for men.

“The average age for women getting married in Badar Uddin’s area was 16 years of age,” says Zakia, a World Vision staff member.

World Vision’s advocacy training enabled him to become an advocate on child protection- including human trafficking, early marriage, and child labor. Badar Uddin’s advocacy now protects the community from trafficking and prevents girls from being ruined by early marriage.

“Badar Uddin’s Union Council built a partnership with World Vision and other organizations to implement a series of social awareness activities on early marriage, birth registration, child labour, and anti-human trafficking,” says Zakia.

“To make my ward a model, I lead villagers to hold ward meetings and determine social issues like dowry, child labor and early marriages,” says Badar Uddin.

To ensure practical social services, he became involved with public and private schools, vocational schools and some non-governmental organizations. He also became involved in the Counter Trafficking Committee, the government’s effort to combat human trafficking.

“Recently I stopped the early marriage of Shanjida*, a fifteen-year girl,” affirms Badar Uddin.

He created a team to protect Shanjida by engaging public administration, law-enforcement officials and social elites.

Badar Uddin continues to educate the community on the consequences of early marriage, child labor and human trafficking. He encourages parents to keep sending their girls to schools.

“I motivate my peers to not issue fake birth registration certificates to protect girls from getting married before 18,” says Badar Uddin.

“Thank you to World Vision for providing me advocacy training which inspired me to work hard and protect children in my community,” Badar Uddin says.

*Alias to protect victim’s identity

Story and Photo by: George Sarkar