At least 41.6 percent of young women in Bangladesh are married before the age of 18, according to a recent government study.

The survey titled 'Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics-2023 (BSVS-2023)' conducted by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has shown that the trend of child marriage has increased in the country in the last three years.

A survey conducted in 2022 showed that at least 40.9 percent of women were married before the age of 18. In 2021 this number was 32.4 percent and in 2020 it was 31.3 percent.

BSVS-2023 also found that 8.2 percent were married before the age of 15. The previous year this number was 6.5 percent.

The survey was conducted across the country on more than 38,000 households and married women between the ages of 20 and 24.

It has been seen that child marriage is more common in rural areas. 44.4 percent of women are married before the age of 18.

According to the Prevention of Child Marriage Act 2017, the age of marriage for girls is 18 years.

However, there is considerable difference between the BBS survey and the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (DBHS) 2022 conducted by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT).

According to Niport's survey, 51 percent of girls are married before the age of 18.

According to a UNICEF report published in May last year, Bangladesh's position in terms of child marriage is at the top in South Asia and eighth in the world.

According to BSVS-2023, the childbearing rate for girls aged 15 to 19 is 73 percent. In the previous year's survey, this number was 70 percent.

According to the survey, 25 percent of the total pregnant women in the country are between 15 and 19 years old.

Speaking about the issue, Raonak Jahan, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, told The Daily Star, 'We often see girls below 16 years of age coming to us after getting pregnant for the second time.

"When we ask why they got pregnant, many say that having a baby secures their marriage or strengthens their relationship with their in-laws," she said.

According to Ronak Jahan, pregnancy at this age is extremely risky for girls' health.

Shaheen Anam, executive director of the Foundation for Humanity, told the Daily Star that the child marriage prevention law should be properly implemented and the relevant committees should be implemented.

Emphasizing on awareness, he said, 'We have to change our social perception towards girls. Instead of marrying off girls at a young age, we should advocate for girls' education and convince their parents of the benefits of educating a girl child.