More than 1.0-million signatures have been collected under the USAID-funded Ujjiban Social and Behaviour Change Project to end child marriage in the country.
The pledges were handed to state minister of women and children affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira at an event styled 'From Commitment to Action: Ending Child Marriage in Bangladesh' at a city hotel on Saturday.
Department of Women Affairs director general Farida Parvin and USAID mission director Kathryne Stevens spoke at the function as special guests. Lawmaker Salima Ahmad also spoke.
Expressing their utter concern, participants and stakeholders say although child marriage is illegal in Bangladesh, the practice still continues.
Despite significant progress, Bangladesh has the fourth-highest prevalence of child marriage globally, they say, adding that over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the incidence has risen significantly.
In addition to the pledges, the event highlighted a new digital library developed by Ujjiban project in partnership with the ministry concerned.
Housed on the ministry's website, the library provides one-stop access to information on existing laws and other resources to prevent child marriage.
It also offers ready-made social behaviour change communication materials designed to enable government and other stakeholders to reach broader audiences with messages developed specifically to end child marriage.
Addressing the function, the state minister says Bangladesh is well-recognised as a role model for women empowerment all over the world.
She further says that Bangladesh's position in the global index of women's development and empowerment is commendable.
At the 75th General Session of the United Nations in 2020, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged to make women's participation in the workplace fifty-fifty.
Ms Indira says her ministry has taken many steps to implement it while 35 types of training are being rendered to women to enhance their skills for employment generation.
Meanwhile, Ms Parvin mentions that the ministry's safety-net programme that caters to vulnerable women has provided basic food security for 104,000 women.
The country has 4,883 youth clubs for training and education.
Ms Stevens reiterates American commitment to supporting the government of Bangladesh and its partners to protect and nurture girls' and boys' abilities to better themselves, their families and communities.
Dr Faisal Mahmud, chief of party, the USAID's Ujjiban project, gave an address of welcome.
Dr Zeenat Sultana, deputy chief of party, gave a presentation on the child marriage situation here.
Additional secretary of women and children affairs ministry Md Muhibuzzaman and Zakia Haq Neela of Ujjiban jointly shared the overview of the digital library.
