Tarique calls for national childcare plan to empower women

Staff Reporter :

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has urged the creation of a Bangladesh where every working mother and female student can pursue their ambitions without being forced to give up work or studies due to the absence of adequate childcare.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, Tarique said the BNP firmly rejects any regressive mindset that restricts women’s potential.

“Empowering women through childcare, equal pay, and workplace safety isn’t just about justice – it’s smart economics,” he wrote.

He said his party envisions a modern, people-centred Bangladesh where no woman must choose between her family and her future.

“What happens when a young mother quits her job or a student drops out because she can’t access proper childcare? Bangladesh loses talent, productivity, and progress,” Tarique observed.

Referring to the 2024 BBS Labour Force Survey, he noted that only 43 percent of women participate in the labour market compared to 80 percent of men.

“That gap is a warning sign – it tells us we are leaving behind more than half of our nation’s potential,” he added.

Tarique revealed that the BNP is formulating a nationwide initiative to integrate childcare into Bangladesh’s broader economic growth strategy.

The proposed plan includes setting up daycare centres in all public universities, gradually expanding the network to government offices, and requiring large private organisations and factories to provide childcare facilities.

He further said the initiative would offer tax incentives and CSR credits to employers who provide childcare, along with training and certification for caregivers under standards set by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs.

“This one reform could significantly increase women’s participation in the workforce, boost family income, strengthen the middle class, and add up to 1 percent to our GDP,” the BNP leader stated. Noting that women constitute nearly two-thirds of the garments industry workforce, Tarique emphasised that their contribution must be properly valued.

Citing research by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), he said factories with childcare facilities report higher employee retention, lower absenteeism, and recover their investment within a year.

“Childcare is not an act of charity – it’s part of the country’s socio-economic infrastructure. Just as roads connect markets, daycare connects women to opportunity,” he wrote.

Tarique said the BNP is committed to building an inclusive, trillion-dollar economy by 2034 that will generate millions of jobs and ensure every citizen, especially women, can contribute to national development with dignity.

“Together, let’s build a nation where every working mother and every student has the freedom to thrive – where care within the community is recognised as the true foundation of progress,” he concluded.