Dhaka: The government has undertaken a significant initiative to equip nikah registrars, known as Kazis, with laptops and other digital tools, along with necessary training, to facilitate the digital registration of marriages and divorces in 102 unions across 10 upazilas as part of a pilot project.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the project aims to revolutionize the traditional manual registration system into a digital, interconnected platform. Dr Md Rezaul Karim, spokesperson for the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, outlined that if the pilot proves successful, it will be expanded nationwide. The selected upazilas for this pilot include Kaliganj in Gazipur, Tungipara in Gopalganj, Jhenaigati in Sherpur, among others.
This initiative is linked to the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, with involvement from various government bodies such as the Election Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. The project is titled 'Civil Registration and Vital Statistics: Development of ICT Infrastructure for Marriage and Divorce Registration' with the primary goal of providing quick and efficient registration services, enhancing transparency, and preventing child marriages.
Dr Karim highlighted the development of web-based software for the online registration of Muslim marriages and divorces to be implemented on a pilot basis. A notable feature of this digital system is its integration with National Identity Card data, birth, and death registration systems, allowing for automatic verification of the age and other essential details of the bride and groom.
The project stipulates that registrations will not proceed if the woman is under 18 or the man is under 21. It encompasses the creation of a real-time central database, a data center, and a backup system, alongside the supply of IT equipment and training for registrars. The National Data Centre of the Bangladesh Computer Council will house the main server and backup system.
Minister Md Asaduzzaman emphasized the system's potential to prevent child marriages using fake documents and unauthorized polygamous marriages. The Law and Justice Division has already signed an MoU with BRAC to facilitate project implementation.
The project promises to prevent child marriages, uphold women's rights, reduce adolescent motherhood and maternal mortality, ensure the accuracy of marriage and divorce statistics, streamline government fee deposits, and curb fraud and forgery in marriage registrations. The digital system is expected to curtail irregularities, including fraudulent second marriages and false marriage certificates.