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LightCastle Partners, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), and under the leadership of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA), joined the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) in hosting a technical workshop to present the context and the research design to develop the National Minimum Standards for the childcare sector in Bangladesh.
On August 7, 2025, the technical workshop took place at the Bangladesh Shishu Academy, bringing together key stakeholders from different government entities, non-government organizations, development agencies, academia, parents and childcare centers, including childcare workers to discuss necessary measures in strengthening Bangladesh’s childcare ecosystem and developing National Minimum Standards (NMS) to ensure accessible, quality, and affordable childcare in both rural and urban areas in the country.
The workshop was opened by the chief guest, Ms Mamtaz Ahmed, the Senior Secretary of MoWCA. In her speech, Ms. Ahmed stressed the growing importance of strengthening the childcare sector in Bangladesh with clear policy guidelines.
Following the chief guest’s speech, Mst. Arju Ara Begum, Joint Secretary (Child and Coordination Wing), MoWCA, made her welcome remarks by presenting the context of the research initiative and the deep commitment of the ministry to address the diversity within the childcare sector of Bangladesh to develop the national minimum standards through continuous stakeholder engagements.
The technical partner of this important initiative, the ILO, was represented by Ms. Anne Drong, National Project Coordinator for CARE Work at the ILO. Ms. Drong underscored ILO’s commitment to making childcare affordable and accessible in line with the Decent Work Country Program, and its core focus is maternity protection at work and the sharing of care work.
LightCastle Partners is the research partner for the development of the national minimum standards for the childcare sector in Bangladesh. Delivering the keynote speech at the workshop, Ms. Ainan Tajrian, Senior Business Consultant at LightCastle Partners, presented the economic and operational context of childcare in Bangladesh, highlighting the connection between quality childcare services and economic growth.
She emphasized the need for strong infrastructural standards, decent work practices for childcare workers, regular and dynamic governance architecture, and a national database of childcare facilities to ensure accountability and investment opportunities to flourish the sector. The presentation revealed 10 quality areas in focus for this critical undertaking in shaping the regulatory framework for the childcare sector:
The workshop continued with an engaging open discussion moderated by Ms. Dilara Begum, Joint Secretary and Director General of Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. The open discussion brought out important feedback and ideas of the participants on shaping and implementing the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for childcare.
During the discussion, Dr. Tania Haque, Professor at Dhaka University, highlighted the importance of adopting an intersectional approach to childcare, noting that quality care depends heavily on the childcare worker.
Ms. Suraiya Haque, Executive Director of Phulki and an Ashoka Fellow, recommended forming a monitoring committee for childcare and urged the mapping of actual demand for childcare facilities, including informal models and nighttime services, to align the policy tools with the needs of the industry.
Adding emphasis to the development of a childcare database, Ms. Mahbuba Bilkis, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, proposed creating a national pool of skilled childcare workers and centers by documenting their qualification portfolios and establishing transparent screening mechanisms to improve quality oversight. The vibrant and important discussion was further enriched by participation from:
Overall, the workshop offered key insights to the government and policymakers on the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for childcare, emphasizing how a strong regulatory framework can boost women’s workforce participation and promote gender equity.
The session concluded with remarks from Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed, Executive Director of BILS and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Labour Reform Commission, who highlighted the importance of protecting childcare workers’ rights and dignity through proper monitoring, while promoting a socially responsible and regulated approach with clear support for childcare workers.
Lastly, Mr. Pedro Jr. Bellens, Chief Technical Advisor of ILO, reaffirmed ILO’s support for establishing the NMS and highlighted that quality childcare is both a social responsibility and an economic necessity for Bangladesh.
Mr. Md. Anisuzzaman, National Programme Officer (Skills & TVET) at ILO, Ms. Ishrat Jahan, Senior Enterprise Advisor & Programme Coordinator of Maternity Protection at ILO, Nazma Yesmin, Director (Research & Development) at BILS, Zahedul Amin, Managing Director and Co-founder of LightCastle Partners, Naziba Ali, Business Consultant at LightCastle and Faiza Tahiya, Business Analyst at LightCastle, were present during the session, along with Dr. SM Hafizur Rahman and Dr. Reza Mahmud Al Huda, Early Childhood Education and Development Consultants for the research.
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