DHAKA, July 12, 2026 (BSS) - The Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, in partnership with UNFPA, today organized an orientation workshop for newly elected Members of Parliament from ruling and opposition parties, highlighting the critical role legislators play in advancing Bangladesh's demographic dividend, Sustainable Development Goals and country's commitments under the International Conference on Population and Development. 

The workshop brought together parliamentarians, government officials and technical experts to discuss maternal and reproductive health, population dynamics, gender equality, youth empowerment and prevention of child marriage, a UNFPA press release said. 

In his opening remarks, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, emphasized that Parliament has a central role in translating policy ambitions into concrete legislative action.

"The future of Bangladesh will depend, to a large extent, on what steps this Parliament takes for young people during this decade. We must invest now in girls' education, family planning, reproductive health services and skills development for young people. At the same time, some of these goals will require legislative support and parliamentary initiatives," said the Speaker. 

The orientation featured three thematic sessions jointly delivered by Members of Parliament and UNFPA experts. Dr. M. Shahidul Islam, Chief of Demographic Data and Intelligence at UNFPA, presented Bangladesh's demographic outlook, underscoring the country's unique opportunity to harness the demographic, gender and longevity dividends through strategic investments in young people, women's economic participation and healthy ageing. 

Fahima Nasrin, MP, examined the persistent challenges of gender-based violence and child marriage, highlighting the need for stronger legal frameworks, sustained investment and survivor-centred systems to protect women and girls.

 Dr. Mahbubur Rahman, MP, presented priorities for strengthening maternal and reproductive health services, including building climate-resilient health systems and expanding access to quality sexual and reproductive health care, particularly in vulnerable communities. 

Dr. Mohammad Golam Mostafa, Deputy Secretary, presented the key objectives and planned activities of the Strengthening Parliament Capacity on Population and Development project.

Barrister Kayser Kamal, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, chaired the event, while Nurul Islam Moni, Chief Whip and Barrister Md. Golam Sorwar Bhuiyan, Parliament Secretary also spoke at the orientation progarmme.

UNFPA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Parliament of Bangladesh in strengthening the country's legislative framework on issues affecting women, girls and young people. This includes supporting dialogue and technical engagement on reforms to the Child Marriage Restraint Act, the Prevention and Protection from Domestic Violence Act, legislation on the prevention of workplace sexual harassment, and other laws that advance gender equality, protection from violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

 Presentations underscored that Parliament's leadership is essential in shaping policies, allocating resources and modernizing legislation that enables every woman, girl and young person to realize their rights and aspirations. 

The workshop forms part of the strengthening Parliament's capacity in integration of population and development issues initiative, which seeks to equip Members of Parliament with the evidence, tools and partnerships needed to advance inclusive and sustainable development through informed legislative action.