Children & education
UNICEF urges Bangladesh to close child‑marriage loopholes and fund girls’ education amid refugee crisis
UNICEF’s Executive Director Catherine Russell called on Bangladesh to end child marriage, ensure girls finish secondary school, honor its 5% GDP pledge for health and education, and sustain learning for Rohingya children as humanitarian funding wanes.
Legal loopholes keep child marriage alive
The 2025 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey shows that 47.2 percent of Bangladeshi women aged 20 to 24 were married before turning 18. UNICEF says gaps in national law still allow these unions, pushing girls out of school, into early pregnancy and limiting future opportunities. In Dhaka’s Korail informal settlement, a UNICEF‑supported child‑protection hub helped prevent a 14‑year‑old girl, Bushra, from being married off by working with her father. The agency is urging the government to close the legal loopholes and to ensure every girl can complete secondary school.
Funding promises must become concrete action
Bangladesh has pledged to allocate five per cent of its gross domestic product to education and health, a commitment highlighted during Russell’s three‑day visit. UNICEF welcomed the pledge but stressed that budgets must translate into tangible improvements in school quality, nutrition and child protection services. Turning the financial promise into measurable outcomes, the agency argues, will keep girls in school and provide the health and protection services that underpin long‑term development, signalling that children are truly at the centre of national planning.
Education as protection for Rohingya children
In Cox’s Bazar, home to one of the world’s largest refugee camps, UNICEF and partners deliver life‑saving and essential services to Rohingya families. During a visit to a UNICEF‑supported learning centre, students and teachers highlighted the importance of education and the role of vocational skills in safeguarding children from exploitation, trafficking, child marriage and armed‑group recruitment. However, humanitarian funding for the Rohingya response is declining, prompting UNICEF to appeal for continued international financing to maintain schooling and health programmes, ensuring displaced children do not lose the education that offers a pathway out of vulnerability.