Bangladesh to remove 'virgin' categorisation from Muslim marriage certificates

Bangladesh to remove 'virgin' categorisation from Muslim marriage certificates
A Bangladeshi court has ruled that the term 'virgin' must be dropped from marriage certificated in a landmark victory for rights groups.
1 min read
27 August, 2019
The term 'virgin' will now be replaced by 'unmarried' [Getty]
Bangladesh's top court has ruled that the word 'virgin' must be removed from marriage certificates following pressure from human rights groups and campaigners.

In a landmark verdict, the government was ordered to replace the term with "unmarried", deputy attorney general Amit Talukder said.

The full verdict is widely expected to be published in October, when the changes will likely come into effect.

Bangladeshi law requires brides to identify as one of three options on the marriage certificate: Kumari (virgin), widow or divorced.

The court also ruled that grooms must also confirm their status by choosing from the three options of "unmarried, widower or divorced".