The numbers from this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations tell a striking story about Bangladesh’s girls.

Girls have consistently outperformed boys in school examinations for nearly a decade, but that academic advantage fades as they move into higher education and the workforce.

If you step out to the streets of Dhaka, you will see a far lower presence of women and girls compared to men.

The systemic barriers that hinder girls’ pursuit of education have continued to remain deeply ingrained in our society.

It is our responsibility to make society safe for girls by strengthening child protection system at the community and national levels.

It is understandable that we focus on the injustices faced by girls – in getting the education they need, or having their voices heard, or simply to be an adolescent without being forced into marriage and motherhood. We must repeatedly demonstrate that girls are denied their rights simply because of their gender.

On average, a teacher handles 50 students, when it should be no more than 30. Can it be denied that much more should be spent on primary education and at other stages of education?

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says fundamentalism or fanaticism would not be a barrier to girls' education in Bangladesh as the people are conscious about which is good for them and which is not.