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DHAKA, BANGLADESH, May 21, 2012 (Deccan Herald): The Bangladesh cabinet today approved the draft of a law suggesting introduction of registration for Hindu marriages aimed at protecting the rights of followers of the faith and particularly that of women.

“The law will be called Hindu Marriage Registration Act, 2012 allowing following of Hindu faith to get their marriage registered,” cabinet secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He said the registration of Hindu marriages would, however, be optional, “not mandatory” as there is no law in the country to register the marriages of Hindus. In the absence of marriage registration, Hindu women are devoid of the rights to prove the marriage or divorce the husband.

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said that despite the principled government decision for enacting immediately the Hindu registration law following Indian example, the follow up legislations for marriage separation and hereditary laws could take a longer period.