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Prime Minister’s wife and Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, Dr Zubaida Rahman, on Monday underscored the need to expand quality child day-care centres across the country, saying they are not only safe spaces for children but also vital institutions for building the nation’s future.
Speaking as the chief guest at a workshop titled “Primary Care and Blooming of Children” at the Multipurpose Hall of Pani Bhaban, she said the shortage of quality day-care facilities continues to create significant challenges for working mothers and their children.
The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.
“Day-care centres are not just places to keep children safe. They are important instruments in building the country’s future,” Dr Zubaida said.
Earlier in the day, she visited the Government Children Family (Girls) in Tejgaon and day-care centres at Bhumi Bhaban and Pani Bhaban to observe their activities.
Highlighting the country’s demographic profile, she said women make up 50.58 percent of Bangladesh’s population, while children aged up to 14 account for 28.36 percent.
Despite some progress, she noted that existing facilities remain far from adequate. Currently, 123 child development centres provide care for about 7,360 children, covering only 0.34 percent of the country’s child population.
“As a result, many children are deprived of essential early childhood development, opportunities to interact with peers, and a healthy environment for growth,” she said.
Dr Zubaida stressed that universal access to quality pre-primary education and early childhood development programmes is essential for strengthening children’s cognitive and social development.
Expressing appreciation for caregivers, she said their dedication enables thousands of working mothers to perform their jobs with peace of mind while ensuring children grow up in a safe and nurturing environment.
She described early childhood as the most crucial stage of life, when values such as honesty, discipline, humanity, curiosity, perseverance and mutual respect are formed.
“By caring for children during these formative years, caregivers are helping shape the country’s future generation while also creating opportunities for more women to participate in the workforce,” she added.
Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain presided over the programme. Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad and State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin attended as special guests.
Addressing the event, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee recalled former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia’s initiative to establish day-care centres in public institutions and said the government aims to expand the programme to help build a skilled and socially responsible future generation.
In his remarks, Dr Zahid said day-care centres benefit not only working mothers but entire working families by preparing children aged between six months and six years for future challenges.
He acknowledged that expanding the network nationwide would require trained personnel and greater public awareness but expressed optimism that the initiative would grow rapidly under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He also noted that the programme began with just six day-care centres in 1992 during Begum Khaleda Zia’s tenure and has since expanded steadily.
