Marriage: HC directs removing word ‘Kumari’ from Kabinnama

The High Court on Sunday ruled that the word “Kumari (virgin)” cannot be used before the name of the bride in Kabinnama, the Muslim marriage deed.

The word “unmarried” will be used in place of “Kumari”, the court said.

The court said the words -- unmarried, widower or divorced -- have to be mentioned before the name of the bridegroom in the Kabinnama.

The High Court directed the government to amend the form of Kabinnama excluding the word “Kumari” in front of the bride’s name and including the word “unmarried, widower or divorced” before the name of the groom.

The High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Khijir Ahmed Chowdhury delivered the verdict following a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust.

The organisation has filed the writ petition with the High Court in 2014 challenging the legality of number five column of Kabinnama form which included the word "Kumari", "Widower" and "Divorced" before the name of the bride.

In the petition, the BLAST said the provision of column five of Kabinnama is contradictory to the right to privacy and is also discriminatory.

Following the writ petition, the High Court in the same year issued a rule asking the government to explain why the provision of column five of the Kabinnama form should not be declared illegal.

Kamruzzaman