State must ensure girls’ safety everywhere: President

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for swift investigations, strict enforcement of the law and a zero-tolerance approach to violence, abuse and sexual harassment against women and girls, insisting that the state must guarantee girls’ safety everywhere, from their journey to school and their classrooms to workplaces and online platforms.

The president made the remarks while addressing a discussion and cultural programme marking the International Day of the Girl Child at Bangladesh Shishu Academy in Dhaka on Monday, October 12. The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum (NGCAF), and was chaired by Women and Children Affairs Minister Abu Zafar Md Jahid Hossain, with State Minister Farzana Sharmin and BNP Standing Committee member and lawmaker Selima Rahman among those present. Describing the birth of a girl as the dawn of new dreams and boundless possibilities, Mr Alamgir asserted that no society could make meaningful progress by leaving women and girls behind, and that education was a fundamental right rather than an act of charity. Speaking as the father of two daughters, he added that safeguarding girls’ futures was not merely a constitutional duty but also a matter of deep personal concern. Moreover, he urged parents to invest in their daughters’ education, skills and well-being rather than prioritising savings for their marriages, and called for equal dignity for boys and girls, with boys taught to respect girls from an early age.

Highlighting women’s achievements in education, healthcare, sports, technology, media, business and public administration, the president cited the international success of Bangladesh’s women’s football team and mountaineer Nishat Majumder’s ascent of Mount Everest as sources of national pride. He also acknowledged former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s role in widening educational opportunities for women, including stipends and tuition-free schooling. Referring to this year’s theme, “No to child marriage, girls will conquer the world,” he warned that child marriage disrupts education, curtails childhood and squanders girls’ potential, and is linked to early motherhood, serious health risks, financial dependence and domestic violence. Consequently, he called for coordinated prevention efforts involving elected representatives, teachers, religious leaders and journalists, and for adolescent-friendly services and mental healthcare to be made more accessible in every upazila.

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The president demanded prompt, impartial investigations and effective trials in cases of violence, rape and sexual abuse involving women and children, declaring that there could be no room for leniency. He also proposed providing girls with self-defence training, including martial arts and karate. Addressing girls directly, he urged them to learn about their rights, pursue education, acquire technical skills and seek help from trusted parents, teachers or helplines rather than endure abuse or injustice in silence. Ultimately, he appealed to people across political divides to work together to build a country in which every girl can be born safely, grow up without fear and fulfil her potential.