They said there are still gaps in reproductive and sexual health, rights of adolescents, discrimination against girls in nutrition, healthcare, early marriage, pregnancy and childbearing.

"Issues like unsafe abortion, delivery at the hands of untrained attendants and increasing male involvement in reproductive health remain some of the major challenges to be addressed," said Suneeta Mukherjee, UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh.

Under 'Meet the Press' programme at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) auditorium, she said "Today is a crucial day for us. We have stepped in tenth year of ICPD + 10 and we want to focus on unmet challenges from this platform. As media plays a vital role in advocacy and information, we would like them to play a key role in advocacy."

Speaking as chief guest, Health Secretary A F M Sarwar Kamal said Bangladesh has made a lot of advances to achieve the goals of ICPD.

"We have formed population, health and nutrition cell in Bangladesh Betar which regularly disseminates messages on reproductive health and rights- related issues including violence against women," he said.

"We have also involved parliamentarians, social and religious leaders in behaviour change communications on reproductive health," he added.

"But longstanding negative attitude towards the role of women in the society, social and religious taboo, low condom use, and user-friendly facilities for adolescents' reproductive needs are the future challenges that we are to meet, the secretary said.

Presenting a paper, Prof Nurun Nabi of population sciences department of Dhaka University said change of behaviour is not an easy task. Twenty years ago, parents believed that having a menstruating daughter at home is a curse. So they arranged early marriage.

After years of advocacy by family planning workers such superstition is now removed, he added.

An outline of a 20-year-long programme on population and development was also discussed at the conference.

Organised by Health and Environment Journalist Forum, Bangladesh (HEJFB), the press conference was also addressed by Nurul Ameen, Unfpa Assistant Representative, Fazlur Rahman, director general of family planning, Dilwara Begum, additional director general of health and Prof Nashid Kamal of Independent University.