For every $1 invested in family planning, Bangladesh can save $14 in health and social costs, prevent 30% of maternal deaths, and reduce two-thirds of unintended pregnancies.
Dhaka, 28 October 2025 - The Government of Bangladesh launched the National Family Planning Strategy for 2025–2030 today with the technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The National Strategy will aim at advancing sexual and reproductive health and empowering women and youth across the country.
Bangladesh’s family planning journey has been marked by extraordinary success, with the use of modern contraception methods soaring from 8% in the 1970s to 64% today but the progress has recently stagnated, leaving approximately 5 million women in Bangladesh with an unmet need for contraception.
The 2025–2030 Strategy addresses key challenges, including high unmet needs among adolescents, early motherhood due to child marriage, reliance on short-acting methods, low uptake of long-acting contraceptives, and regional disparities.
The new strategy marks a shift from a historical focus on population control to a rights-based approach that champions choice, empowerment, and inclusion. Crucially, the plan aligns with global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals and Family Planning 2030, focusing on achieving the zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage.
The Chief Guest, Professor Md. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, emphasized the importance of ensuring implementation of the Strategy at the local level. He highlighted the need to use evidence and conduct new surveys to guide effective implementation of the strategy.
“Family planning is not just a health intervention; it gives women and couples the power to decide if and when to have children, breaking the cycle of poverty and opening doors to education, employment, and dignity,” said Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Bangladesh Representative.
The event was attended by senior government officials, including Md. Saidur Rahman, Secretary of the Health Services Division; Md. Mahbub Alam, Additional Secretary of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division; Dr. Ashrafi Ahmad, ndc, Director General of the Directorate General of Family Planning and Dr. Md. Abu Jafor, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services. Representatives from key ministries, UN agencies, development partners, NGOs and academia also attended the launch event.
For more information, please contact:
Asma Akter, Communication Officer, UNFPA Bangladesh, asma@unfpa.org, mobile 01711673555
