The other reasons obstructing girls' education are higher school cost, parents reluctance to send them to school, and students own lack of interest in attending the class.

The seminar titled 'Girls' Schooling in Rural Bangladesh' was organised by Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) at its auditorium in the city.

Simeen Mahmud, a senior research fellow of BIDS, presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

The study on girls' schooling was conducted in three districts Chittagong, Chapainawabganj and Sherpur.

Simeen in her paper underscored the need for a policy shift from expanding enrollment to improving standard of education.

She said structural barriers like distance, marriage and workload, earlier considered as hindrance for girls' schooling, have changed over the time.

Simeen said the cost of continuation is higher than the cost of enrollment, and as such the decision to enroll girls in school is easier than the decision to keep them in school.

The study showed a significant rise in girls' enrollment only in the last decade and faster than the rise in boys' enrollment. It was found in both poor and non-poor families.

It also showed that village literacy level has positive impact on enrollment and continuation of girls' education.

School distance no longer remains as a barrier to enrollment now as it was in the past, said the study.

Similarly, village remoteness depresses chances of school enrollment as in the past but it does not affect chances of school continuation, it added.

Dr Zafarullah Chowdhury, coordinator of Gano Swasthya Kendro, and Nilufar Akhtar took part in the discussion.