Bangladesh: UNICEF chief calls for an end to child marriage

Her story was one of many heard by the UN children’s agency Executive Director Catherine Russell who 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 school, delivering on the Government’s commitment to invest five per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in both education and health, and protecting quality learning for Rohingya refugee and host-community children.

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

Married before 18

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

Adolescent girls shared their ambitions and the pressures that can force them out of school and into marriage.

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

Child marriage drives girls out of school, fuels early pregnancy and narrows lifelong opportunities. UNICEF is calling for girls to complete secondary school and for loopholes in national law that permit child marriage to be closed.

Meeting senior officials, including State Minister for Foreign Affairs 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.

“Budgets reflect priorities,” she said. “Investing in children’s quality education, health, nutrition and protection is investing in Bangladesh’s future.”

‘They cannot lose their education too’

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

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

“Rohingya children have lost so much to violence, displacement and uncertainty. They cannot lose their education too,” Ms. Russell said. “The world must invest in them, and in the communities that welcomed them.”

Recognizing Bangladesh’s generosity in hosting the refugees, she appealed to the international community to keep supporting both the Rohingya and their host communities, warning that as humanitarian funding declines, sustained support is critical to protect essential services.

In Cox’s Bazar, UNICEF and partners provide life-saving and essential services to Rohingya refugee children and families. 

As humanitarian funding declines sustained international support is critical to protect essential services and ensure that refugee and host-community children are not left behind.