Dhaka, Oct. 14 -- Anaemia remains stubbornly widespread in Bangladesh, affecting more than half of all pregnant women and nearly 44 percent of young children, according to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics with UNICEF support.

For many families, the instinct is to reach for red meat to boost iron intake. But several everyday foods -- many of them already staples in Bangladeshi kitchens -- contain as much iron as beef or significantly more.

Why Iron Matters -- and Why Red Meat is not the Only Answer

Iron is essential for producing haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. A shortfall leads to fatigue, impaired concentratio...