UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell called for urgent investment in Bangladesh’s children following a three-day visit, identifying child marriage, public spending and refugee education as priorities. According to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025, 47.2 per cent of women aged 20 to 24 were married before reaching 18. UNICEF warns that child marriage disrupts girls’ schooling, contributes to early pregnancy and restricts opportunities throughout their lives. The agency is urging girls’ completion of secondary education and the closure of legal loopholes that allow child marriage.
In Korail, Dhaka’s largest informal settlement, children and parents described the effects of poverty, disrupted education and limited basic services. Adolescent girls discussed their ambitions alongside pressures that could push them into marriage. During meetings with senior officials, including State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Russell welcomed the government’s commitment to increase spending on education and health to five per cent of gross domestic product. She emphasised that budget commitments must translate into practical investment in children’s education, health, nutrition and protection.
In Cox’s Bazar, which hosts one of the world’s largest refugee camps, Russell met Rohingya families and visited a UNICEF-supported learning centre. Students and teachers highlighted education and vocational skills. Beyond learning, UNICEF says education helps protect children against exploitation, trafficking, child marriage and recruitment by armed groups. With humanitarian funding declining, Russell appealed for sustained international assistance to preserve essential services and quality learning for Rohingya children and the communities that host them.
