Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell has called for urgent investment in children in Bangladesh following a three-day visit that included meetings with families in Korail, Dhaka’s largest informal settlement, and Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
Russell urged action on three fronts: ending child marriage and keeping girls in school; fulfilling the government’s commitment to invest 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in education and health; and protecting access to quality education for Rohingya and host-community children.
In Korail, Russell heard from children and parents about poverty, disrupted education and limited access to basic services. Adolescent girls shared their ambitions and the pressures that can force them to leave school and marry.
“I met a 14-year-old girl named Bushra, who told me how community leaders at a Unicef-supported child protection hub had worked with Bushra’s father to save her from early marriage,” Russell said.
“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.”
Nearly half, or 47.2%, of women aged 20-24 in Bangladesh were married before the age of 18, according to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025.
Child marriage pushes girls out of school, fuels early pregnancy and limits their opportunities throughout life. Unicef has called for girls to complete secondary education and for loopholes in national law that permit child marriage to be addressed.
Russell met senior officials, including Shama Obaed Islam, state minister for foreign affairs. She expressed appreciation for the government’s commitment to increasing the budgets for education and health services, stressing the importance of turning pledges into action.
“Budgets reflect priorities,” Russell said. “Investing in children’s quality education, health, nutrition and protection is investing in Bangladesh’s future.”
In Cox’s Bazar, home to one of the world’s largest refugee camps, Russell met Rohingya children and families and visited Unicef-supported learning activities.
Recognising Bangladesh’s generosity in hosting Rohingya refugees, Russell urged the international community to continue supporting both refugees and host communities.
At a Unicef-supported learning centre, she heard from students and teachers about the importance of education and vocational skills. Beyond learning, education helps protect children from exploitation, trafficking, child marriage and recruitment by armed groups.
“Rohingya children have lost so much to violence, displacement and uncertainty. They cannot lose their education too,” Russell said. “The world must invest in them, and in the communities that welcomed them.”
Across Bangladesh, Unicef works with the government and partners to strengthen the systems and services on which children and families depend. Its support includes access to quality education, primary health care, immunisation, nutrition, safe water, sanitation and child protection services.
Unicef also works to prevent child marriage and violence against children, empower adolescent girls, strengthen social protection and promote greater public investment in children. Through research, policy advocacy and support for national and local institutions, it seeks to ensure essential services reach children most at risk of being left behind.
In Cox’s Bazar, Unicef and its partners provide life-saving and essential services to Rohingya refugee children and families, including malnutrition prevention and treatment, safe drinking water, sanitation, education, health care, child protection and psychosocial support. The organisation also supports vulnerable host communities.
As humanitarian funding declines, sustained international support is critical to protecting essential services, preserving progress and ensuring that refugee and host-community children are not left behind.