Doctor Freed After Court Forbids Forced Marriage

A judge in Bangladesh intervened on behalf of a National Health Service physician held by her parents in Bangladesh and expected her to marry a man of their choosing. “Her lawyers said the case set a precedent in Bangladesh and it is also one of the first cases where legal action was taken in the UK since the Forced Marriages Act became law last month,” reports Ian Johnston for the Independent. Marriage customs differ in the UK and Bangladesh, with individual couples having more choice in the former and parents more involvement in the latter. The British Foreign Office issued a protection order for the physician, a Bangladeshi citizen, though not enforceable overseas, with the hopes that officials in Bangladesh would pay heed. Women’s-rights advocates in Bangladesh praised the judge’s decision that suggested parents do not carry the last word on marriage decisions. In Bangladesh, parents often give the women veto power over marriage picks, but as with any culture, some parents are more controlling than others in the attempt to achieve the best of all possible outcomes for their children. – YaleGlobal