NILIMA JAHAN

Feroza Ahmed’s (not her real name) professional life once revolved around high-stakes dealings with major advertisers. As a senior executive at a leading media house, she worked long hours -- often until 9:00pm -- ensuring precision in every advertising placement.

After more than 11 years in the industry, she was on the verge of becoming an assistant manager. “I was supposed to be promoted. But when the management learnt that I was pregnant and would go on leave, they didn’t give me promotion.”

The job became unmanageable after she gave birth to her second child.

She said, “I can leave one child with my relatives, but I can’t impose two on them....”

Feroza did not return to work after her second maternity leave.

Her exit from the media house was not planned. The management never offered her any flexibility at work. “I ran the whole department from home during the Covid pandemic, but no hybrid or part-time arrangement was considered for me when I needed it the most,” she said.

When she resigned, there was no attempt to retain her. Instead, her boss warned: “Once you resign, you won’t be able to come back.”

At home, she didn’t get the support she needed. “My husband told me that if I could manage everything alone, I could retain the job; otherwise, I shouldn’t.”

The transition took a heavy toll on her. “I was slipping into depression. I couldn’t sleep. I would wake up from nightmares.”

She doubts whether she will ever be able to return to work, even if she can manage her time. “Who will hire me again? If I try to return to the industry, will anyone take me?” she asked.

Feroza’s story reflects a broader pattern of mid-career exits in Bangladesh’s workforce, where experienced women leave formal employment after motherhood due to structural barriers and caregiving responsibilities.

Despite long years of experience and proven performance, many women are unable to return to work after childbirth owing to the absence of flexible work arrangements and reliable support systems at home and at work.

A recent BRAC analysis found that nearly 75 percent of the 1,200 mid-career women who applied for employment in a BRAC programme had previously quit jobs due to domestic responsibilities (38.8 percent) or motherhood (36 percent).

The “motherhood penalty” is intensified by a major care burden gap. A 2021 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) time-use survey found that married Ashrafunnahar

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