More than 51 people die from drowning each day in Bangladesh, with over 75% of the victims being children, a recent survey has revealed.
The National Health and Injury Survey, completed in 2024, found that nearly 40 children die daily from drowning, making it one of the leading causes of death among children aged one to four years.
Speakers at a national consultation on Wednesday stressed the need for coordinated and sustainable efforts by government and non-government actors to prevent child deaths and promote early childhood development. They also highlighted the role of child-friendly journalism in raising awareness and enhancing public engagement.
The discussion, titled “Child-Friendly Journalism for Nation Building,” was held at a hotel in Dhaka. It was organized by the media and communication development organization Somashte (Somashte Media Communication and Development Foundation) under the government’s Integrated Child Care, Child Development, Safety and Swimming (ICBC) project.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Mamtaz Ahmed, NDC, attended the event as the chief guest. She noted that while many countries register children immediately after birth, Bangladesh faces challenges in child registration, particularly in Dhaka. Children born in hospitals under the Ministry of Health can now be registered, and similar responsibilities could be delegated to rural communities.
“If communities are entrusted with this responsibility, they will be able to carry it out effectively,” she said.
Ahmed also said over 4,020 daycare centers have been established with local community support. Children attending these centers learn a range of skills, and teachers report that they are more active and spontaneous than their peers. She added that under the project, 360,000 children have received swimming training, with more initiatives planned in the future.
Emphasizing parental awareness, she said mobile phones can be harmful for children, yet parents often allow their use despite knowing the risks. She suggested introducing daycare facilities at the primary school level and assured that further efforts would create a safer, child-friendly environment.
The opening session was moderated by Mir Masruruzzaman, executive director of Somashte.
Md Abdul Kadir, joint secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and project director of the ICBC project, said the initiative aims to provide sustainable solutions to prevent child deaths. He stressed sharing child development information with parents, promoting proper parenting practices, and urged the media to report on swimming training and child safety initiatives at the local level.
Md Tariqul Islam Chowdhury, program manager of the Bangladesh Swimming Federation and Bangladesh Shishu Academy (ICBC project), said 360,000 children aged six to ten have received life-saving swimming training across 16 districts. Around 250,000 children have received early childhood development support through 8,020 community-based childcare centers.
Mohammad Rizwan Khan, senior program manager of Synergos Bangladesh, noted that the project began in 2022. Its first phase was completed in 2025, and the second phase is underway, targeting 520,000 children aged six to ten in 14 additional districts for swimming training and 320,000 for early childhood development support.
Mahmuda Akter, convener of the Multisectoral Working Group on climate change and vice-chair of the Bangladesh ECD Network, said while multisectoral coordination remains challenging, effective initiatives can be scaled up nationwide through media coverage.
Esha Husain, country director of Synergos Bangladesh, emphasized the community-led implementation of the project. No separate buildings are purchased or rented for childcare centers, as local communities provide the required spaces. The second phase will focus on children in marginalized and high-risk areas.
Speakers stressed that sustainable nation-building depends on children’s education, protection, and holistic development. They called for sensitive and awareness-driven media reporting on preventable child drowning deaths.
During the session “Joining Hands in Trust to Build a Better Future for Children,” Reaz Ahmad, editor of the Dhaka Tribune, said that nurturing the next generation is key to fulfilling national aspirations. He noted that the Dhaka Tribune has increased reporting on children over the past two to three years.
Ahmad emphasized early childhood education, citing Japan as an example where children learn civic behavior, cleanliness, and public respect before formal literacy. “What children absorb at that age becomes lifelong skills and habits,” he said, suggesting similar lessons be incorporated into Bangladesh’s primary-level curriculum.
Other speakers included Firoz Chowdhury, assistant editor of The Daily Prothom Alo; Zahirul Alam, head of news at Channel 24; Sohrab Hasan, editor of Chaarcha Dotcom; Zahid Newaz Khan, chief executive editor of Channel i; Salma Yasmin, senior news editor of Banglavision; Kajol Ghosh, news editor of The Daily Manabzamin; and Rabeya Baby, staff reporter and editor of Mohila Angan, The Daily Ittefaq, alongside journalists from various districts.
The event was also attended by Arju Ara Begum, director general of Bangladesh Shishu Academy; Shabnam Mostari, additional secretary and project director of the “Establishment of 20 Child Daycare Centres” project; Dr Md Al Amin Sorkar, director general of the Monitoring and Evaluation Sector–7; senior officials from various ministries and departments; development partners; and media professionals from print, electronic, and online outlets.
