Bangladesh: UNICEF chief calls for an end to child marriage

Her story was one of many heard by UN children’s agency Executive Director Catherine Russell on Tuesday called for urgent investment in Bangladesh’s children following a three-day visit to the country.

Ms Russell urged action on three fronts: ending child marriage and keeping girls in schoolrealizing the Government’s commitment to investing five percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in education and healthAnd protect quality learning for Rohingya refugees and host community children.

“Keeping girls in school and providing the health, education and protection services they need will provide a brighter future for them, their communities and Bangladesh,” he said.

Marry before the age of 18

In Korail, Dhaka’s largest informal settlement, Ms. Russell hears from children and parents how poverty, disrupted education and limited basic services have impacted their lives.

Teenage girls share their ambitions and the pressures that can force them to leave school and marry.

Nearly half – 47.2 percent – ​​of women in Bangladesh aged 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18according to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025.

Child marriage pushes girls out of school, triggers early pregnancy and narrows lifelong opportunities. UNICEF calls for girls to complete secondary school and closes loopholes in national laws that allow child marriage.

While meeting with senior officials, including Foreign Minister Shama Obaed Islam, Ms. Russell welcomed the Government’s commitment to increase spending on education and health, while stressing the importance of turning promises into action.

“The budget reflects priorities,” he said. “Investing in quality education, health, nutrition and protection of children is an investment in Bangladesh’s future.”

‘They can’t afford to lose their education either’

In Cox’s Bazar, home to one of the world’s largest refugee camps, Ms. Russell met with Rohingya children and families and visited a UNICEF-supported learning center, where students and teachers talked about the importance of education and vocational skills.

Besides learning, education also protects children from exploitation, human trafficking, child marriage and recruitment by armed groups, UNICEF said.

“Rohingya children have lost so much due to violence, displacement and uncertainty. They also cannot afford to lose their educationMs Russell said. “The world must invest in it, and in the communities that embrace it.”

Recognizing Bangladesh’s generosity in hosting refugees, he called on the international community to continue providing support to both the Rohingya and the communities hosting them, and warned that as humanitarian funding declines, continued support is essential to protect essential services.

In Cox’s Bazar, UNICEF and its partners are providing vital and life-saving services to Rohingya refugee children and families.

As humanitarian funding declines, continued international support is critical to protect essential services and ensure that refugee children and host communities are not left behind.