A grade-X student, who was about to be married off, can now focus on her upcoming SSC exams thanks to the efforts of her classmates and prompt action by Abhaynagar's acting Upzila Nirbahi Officer Mondip Gharai. The parents of Ratna Khatun, 16, from Chalishia union's Kota village had hastily arranged her marriage with one Chanchal Mahmud from Fultola area for money. Both parties planned to hold the marriage ceremony at the dead of the night to evade intervention by Jessore's local administration. One of Ratna's classmates informed acting UNO Mondip about the planned the marriage, who rushed to the village with police around Wednesday midnight. Chanchal, the groom-to-be, his parents and the parents of the bride signed bonds promising not to hold child marriage. Local Chalishia Union Parishad's chairman was given custody of Ratna. “Parents should boycott child marriages considering the future of their children,” acting UNO Mondip told the Dhaka Tribune. “We were able to stop Ratna's marriage thanks to her classmate's phone call,” he said. “Everyone should be alert and contact the local administration to root out child marriage.” Bangladesh has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world and the highest among Asian countries. More than half (52%) of Bangladeshi girls are married off before they turn 18 and almost one-fifth (18%) are married off before the age of 15. The Parliament in February passed the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, with a provision for underage marriages in “special circumstances” , raising fears that the loophole could be manipulated to force girls marry rapists.