Bangladesh has sought a stronger, results-oriented partnership with UNICEF to advance maternal and child health, quality education, adolescent girls' empowerment, child protection and climate resilience.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam expressed the expectation during a dialogue with visiting UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel yesterday (18 October), according to a foreign ministry press release issued today (19 October).
The discussions focused on longstanding cooperation between Bangladesh and UNICEF for the development and welfare of women and children.
Appreciating UNICEF's contributions since Bangladesh's independence, Shama reaffirmed the government's commitment to building an inclusive country that ensures dignity, equal opportunities and essential services for women and children.
She highlighted the government's flagship Family Card and Farmers' Card initiatives, referring to financial support for female-headed households to strengthen women's economic empowerment.
The state minister also outlined measures including school feeding, the distribution of free textbooks and free education for female students up to undergraduate level.
She highlighted Bangladesh's significant progress in reducing maternal and child mortality and said the government had nearly doubled the health budget to strengthen healthcare services.
Shama underscored the government's commitment to improving the quality of education and progressively increasing investment in the sector towards 5% of GDP.
On child marriage, she stressed the need to address underlying socioeconomic factors, including poverty, social norms, school dropout and limited opportunities for girls.
The discussions also covered gender-related vulnerabilities arising from climate change, violence against women, including online abuse, and juvenile delinquency.
In this context, Shama referred to her recent meeting with Meta officials in New York, where she discussed establishing a local office in Bangladesh to facilitate the prompt redress of complaints. She also outlined government measures to address juvenile delinquency.
The state minister appreciated UNICEF's support for Rohingya children in education, healthcare, nutrition and protection.
Russell acknowledged Bangladesh's progress in reducing child mortality and stunting, improving school attendance and birth registration, and expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
She appreciated the government's cooperation and assured Bangladesh of UNICEF's continued support.
UNICEF Country Representative Gillian Mellsop, Deputy Representative Emmanuelle Abrioux and Child Protection Specialist Shabnaaz Zahereen accompanied Russell.
Foreign Secretary Ambassador Asad Alam Siam and Director General Kazi Ehsanul Haque accompanied the state minister.