Faith Leaders and Child Well-Being in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

The article examines four key areas affecting child well-being in Bangladesh: child marriage, violence against children, child education, and child health. The research for this article was conducted through fieldwork, including surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and expert consultations. Despite the prevailing perception that religion hinders progress, this article argues that social and economic factors play a more significant role as the primary drivers of children’s misfortunes. Nonetheless, Islamic values indirectly impact issues such as early marriage, co-education, physical punishment, and seeking gynecological services. The article emphasizes the need for further training of faith leaders to enable them to play nuanced roles in promoting children’s well-being on a larger scale in Bangladesh.