Spike in child marriage in Bangladesh during COVID-19: Determinants and interventions

Bangladesh has committed to eliminate child marriage by 2030 in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals. But the commitment and societal progress so far have largely been disrupted due to COVID-19, which has triggered hundreds of underage marriages in Bangladesh, mostly in rural areas. The rising trend of child marriage during the current pandemic is very alarming. This paper highlights the recent upsurge in child marriage in Bangladesh and attempts to identify pandemic-induced causal factors behind the surge. In fact, a number of factors that drive underage marriage in stable environments are aggravated during the period of lockdown. Specifically, deepening poverty caused by the loss of jobs as well as long-term school closure are key factors that induce many poor families to marry off their offspring early. Finally, the paper discusses some important measures to be taken urgently to mitigate the heightened risks of child marriage and reduce its occurrence.