Md. Shamim Ahmed, Khandaker Jannatul Ferdues and Prova Shakila

Abstract: The right to free and compulsory education is guaranteed in Article 17 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, establishing the state’s responsibility for making primary education accessible to all children. Despite this constitutional mandate, wide disparities exist between legal obligation and actual provision of education, especially for rural children and those in remote areas. This study aims to make a critical appraisal of constitutional obligations, human rights instruments, and existing statutes in Bangladesh in terms of practical implementation. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining doctrinal legal research to analyze existing laws with a quantitative survey to identify the key challenges hindering the full realization of the right to education (RTE). The findings underscore the importance of state capacity in realizing constitutional commitments and suggest specific legal and policy reforms necessary to eliminate the disjuncture between law and practice. The study recommends stronger legal safeguards, policy changes, and enhanced institutional accountability in order to guarantee the constitutional right to free and compulsory primary education for all children in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Right to education, fundamental right, sustainable development

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