Female students at several public universities in Bangladesh are calling for the introduction of maternity leave and flexible academic arrangements during pregnancy and after childbirth. Currently, there is no policy allowing enrolled students to take time off for maternal health needs, resulting in many being required to continue classes, examinations, and laboratory work throughout pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Students report that strict attendance requirements and the risk of losing a semester create pressure to remain in academic spaces even during medically vulnerable periods. Those who have recently given birth also point to difficulties in managing breastfeeding and childcare while maintaining full academic schedules, often without designated spaces or institutional support on campus.
In December 2022, Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala, India, introduced three months of maternity leave for female students aged 18 and above, and in 2023, Kerala University expanded the allowance to six months, to be taken before or after childbirth. Bangladeshi students are referencing these models in their appeals.
On June 22, students of Dhaka University submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor outlining demands for maternity leave, exam flexibility, and breastfeeding and childcare facilities. Similar calls have been raised at Begum Rokeya University, Barisal University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, and Patuakhali University of Science and Technology.
The demands center on recognizing maternity as a legitimate condition requiring institutional accommodation, rather than treating pregnancy and childbirth as personal circumstances that students must handle without support.
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