DHAKA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Mariam Akhter, a girl who lives in a rural village in Bangladesh, narrowly escaped a forced marriage when she was only 14 years old.

She now studies at an Islamic school in the Chandpur District, located some 115 km southeast of Dhaka, and has hopes now of a bright future.

Mariam saved herself from being forced into marriage by calling the helpline number "333".

On hearing of her woeful situation, local officials rushed to where she was and foiled her family's bid to marry off their extremely young daughter.

By making use of the helpline numbers, many under-aged girls like Mariam have saved themselves from the curse of child marriage in parts of Bangladesh, where the minimum legal age for marriage is, in fact, 18 years old for females and 21 for males.

For adolescent Bangladeshi girls, the helpline "333" launched in April, 2018 by Bangladeshi Prime Minister's ICT Affairs Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has emerged as a "lifesaver".

In a bid to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030, the country has been trying to address such social maladies as child marriage and other social ills that have hampered the country's development.

According to the State of World Population Report 2019 released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), a staggering 59 percent of the marriages that took place in Bangladesh between 2006 and 2017 involved brides below the age of 18.

Bangladeshi State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Zunaid Ahmed Palak said they are committed to eliminating child and forced marriage in line with the country's sustainable development goals target.

The minister said that the "333" helpline is one of the measures which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has taken to end the scourge of child marriage.

"So far we have received millions of calls from different areas regarding child marriage and drug abuse among other issues. And we are really happy that our government administrations are responding to the calls and protecting our young under-aged girls from child marriage," the minister said.

He also expressed hope that in the near future, Bangladesh would be a country free of the scourge of child marriage.

"The "333" national helpline plays a vital role to protect young girls from child marriage, prevent violence against women and a number of other social issues and problems," he added.

Md. Majedur Rahman Khan, Chandpur district administration chief, said "333" is a very good option to check any social irregularities, tackle the oppression of women and prevent child marriages.

"We instantly receive information whenever someone makes a call through the helpline and we then identify problems and take prompt measures," he said, adding, "We strive to solve the problems immediately."

He said through the "333" helpline numbers they were able to stop 31 child marriages in the Chandpur district, where child marriage continues to be a major problem.

Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Talukder, a senior teacher at the South Tajdi Borhan ul Ulum Alim Madrasah where Mariam has been studying, said, "When she was in the ninth grade in our madrasa (last year), one day a senior official came to know that this girl is going to become a victim of child marriage.

"He called me to ask whether she is a student of our madrasa and I informed him that she was and as per her school's record she was born on Dec. 15, 2003 and was only 14 years old at the time."

Finally, he said the marriage was halted by the intervention of the local administration.

"I have narrowly escaped child marriage," said Mariam herself. Due to the timely interventions by district and sub-district administrations, she said her family was prevented from holding the marriage ceremony.

"My parents used to push me when I was very young to get married," she said, adding they no longer pressure her thanks to the officials who made it clear to her parents of the negative consequences of child marriage.

Mariam says her parents have not merely changed their minds as a result of the intervention, but have helped paved the way for her bright future.

"They now ask me to pay attention to my studies. They're supporting me so that I can stand on my own feet," the young girl said.

Mariam's mother Nasrin said they used to want their daughter to get married at an early age, but now they respect the laws of country and no longer insist her daughter marrying at a young age.

"When my daughter is over 18 years old, she is free to marry when she chooses," Nasrin said. Enditem

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