Digital marriage, divorce registration to help curb child marriage and fraud: Law minister
Digital Marriage Divorce Registration to Help Curb Fraud
Bdbusinessdaily.com – Bangladesh is preparing to introduce a digital marriage and divorce registration system that officials say could help prevent child marriage, polygamy and fraudulent certificates. Digital marriage divorce registration to help strengthen verification is expected to make civil records faster to access and more reliable for citizens and registrars.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman discussed the initiative on 9 September, saying a connected digital platform would allow authorities to verify identities, ages and marital histories more effectively. The system is intended to provide authenticated records and digital certificates while reducing delays in the registration process.
Connected Records for Better Verification
The planned platform will link marriage and divorce information with the National Identity Card database, along with birth and death registration records. By comparing details across these systems, registrars may be able to confirm whether applicants meet legal marriage-age requirements and whether submitted information is accurate.
This could be an important tool in preventing child marriage. Checking birth-registration details and NID information before a certificate is issued may help identify incorrect ages, false identities or other inconsistencies during registration.
Digital marriage divorce registration to help address hidden marriages and fabricated documents could also improve protection against fraud. A central record system may make it easier to identify attempts to register a marriage with misleading personal details or documentation that conflicts with an existing marital status.
The minister said citizens would be able to verify marriage and divorce records without long delays, while digital certificates could be generated promptly. Real-time record storage is expected to be a key feature of the proposed service.
“We want to move forward. If an innovative idea comes before us, we want to adopt it and move towards public welfare. That is our goal,” the minister said.
Brac Agreement and Pilot Rollout
The remarks were made at a Secretariat event marking the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Brac and the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics: ICT Infrastructure Development for Marriage and Divorce Registration project. The Law and Justice Division is implementing the project.
The agreement is scheduled to run from 30 September 2026 to 30 June 2027. The minister said Brac’s experience in preventing child marriage and promoting women’s rights would support the government’s efforts to develop the digital registration system.
The pilot phase will cover 102 unions in 10 upazilas across 10 districts. Testing the service on a limited scale is expected to help authorities assess the registration process, database connections and necessary equipment before considering a wider rollout.
According to the minister, around 95% of the marriage-registration software development has been completed. A cloud server has been provided through the National Data Centre, and application programming interface connections have been established with the birth and death registration database and the NID database.
The pilot also includes links with Sonali Bank’s payment gateway and biometric devices. These features are designed to bring identity checks, record verification and payment-related functions into a more integrated registration process.
The project is expected to cost about Tk11 crore. Its effectiveness will depend on accurate data, reliable technology and consistent use by registration offices. Digital marriage divorce registration to help citizens verify their legal status could make marriage and divorce documentation more secure and easier to trust.
Why Reliable Digital Records Matter
Marriage and divorce certificates are often needed for legal, personal and administrative purposes. A dependable digital record could reduce uncertainty over whether a certificate is genuine and help people confirm their marital status when required.
For registrars, linked databases may provide stronger safeguards before documents are issued. For citizens, a faster verification process could reduce the difficulty of obtaining or confirming official records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will the digital registration system be tested first?
The first pilot is planned for 102 unions in 10 upazilas across 10 districts in Bangladesh.
Which databases will be connected to the system?
The platform is planned to connect marriage and divorce records with the National Identity Card database and birth and death registration systems.
How could the system help prevent child marriage?
Registrars may be able to compare an applicant’s age and identity details with official birth-registration and NID records before issuing a marriage certificate.
Will citizens receive digital certificates?
Officials said the system is intended to support prompt generation of digital marriage and divorce certificates, along with faster verification of records.