An acute shortage of contraceptives in health centres across the country is severely affecting reproductive and maternal healthcare, with marginalised communities in rural and remote areas suffering the most.

At community clinics, Family Welfare Assistants (FWAs) usually provide free contraceptives such as condoms, oral contraceptive pills, and injections six days a week. But visits to local hospitals, upazila health complexes, union sub-centres, and remote community clinics revealed that supplies have been shrinking since mid-2024.

Rahima Begum, a resident of Char Korai Barishal in Kurigram's Chilmari upazila, said, "We used to receive contraceptive pills and women's health services from an FWA for free. But now, we are not getting them; instead, we have to buy pills from outside."

Shirina Akter of Guptamoni Char in Gaibandha's Fulchari upazila shared similar experiences.