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, as well as 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 listened to accounts from children and parents regarding poverty, interrupted education, and restricted access to essential services. Additionally, adolescent girls discussed their aspirations alongside the pressures that can compel them to drop out of school and enter into marriage.

“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.”

According to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2025, nearly half—specifically 47.2 percent—of women aged 20 to 24 in Bangladesh were married before reaching the age of 18.

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 with senior officials, including State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam. She expressed appreciation for the government's commitment to increasing budgets for education and health services, and stressed 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, which is home to one of the world’s largest refugee camps, Russell met with 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 regarding the importance of education and vocational skills. Beyond academic 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 stated. He added that the world must invest in these children and in the communities that welcomed them.

Across Bangladesh, Unicef collaborates with the government and various partners to bolster the systems and services that children and families rely on. This support encompasses 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, the organization seeks to ensure that essential services reach the children who are most at risk of being left behind.

In Cox’s Bazar, Unicef and its partners deliver life-saving and essential services to Rohingya refugee children and families, encompassing malnutrition prevention and treatment, safe drinking water, sanitation, education, health care, child protection, and psychosocial support. The organisation also extends its support to 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.

Why it matters

The visit underscores the urgent need for Bangladesh to translate policy commitments into budgetary action to protect children’s rights and sustain international support for Rohingya refugees.