Hidden Connections, Part 2: The Human Cost

Families in rural Bangladesh who have lost their livelihoods to extreme weather often move to the slums of urban Dhaka, the capital, to find work. But faced with increasing poverty, higher living costs, and expensive tuition, poorer families are more likely to marry off their young daughters so they have one less child to support. For many, paying a dowry is more affordable than taking care of a daughter in the city. Despite laws against child marriage, nearly one-third of girls in Bangladesh are married before age 15.

In Part 2 of Hidden Connections, we delve deeper into the lives of Brishti and Razia: 14-year-old Brishti has been married to a man who secretly has another wife and children, and 14-year-old Razia's father is desperate to arrange her marriage as he struggles to support their family.