| Summary: | Background: Ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy has become a priority health and
development agenda in the last decade. However, the rate of improvement is still significantly
slower than what is required to achieve the target set in the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) in many countries. Child marriage and teenage pregnancy is a common phenomenon in
Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh since their displacement. Nonetheless, there are not
many updates and specific reports about it in a forcibly displaced Rohingya community in a
limited area due to insecurity and unavailability. Aim: This paper aims to examine the drivers of
child marriage and teenage pregnancy in Rohingya Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Methods: It is a community based cross-sectional study that has been designed with simple
random sampling and interviewed 400 adolescents and young adults who got married after their
displacement to Bangladesh and currently living in selected camps. Results: The majority
participants responded that they got early marriage due to the fear of insecurity, poverty,
illiteracy and inadequate legal protections. A substantial number of the participants mentioned
family honor, cultural and social norms, while a few of them stated that they were physically and
mentally mature enough for marriage. The results indicate that 100% of the respondents know
the legal age of marriage and almost all of them were aware of family planning. Among all
respondents, (15.5%) were not pregnant whereas (84.5%) of teenagers became pregnant before
they turned 18. Conclusion: Evidence generated through this research would help to raise
awareness about child marriage and teenage pregnancy leading to better policies and methods
surrounding health care areas and socio-economic status.
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