Md. Sazedul Islam :
Forty percent (over six crore) of total population of Bangladesh are children. They need protection and it is needed for our national interest. But some unwanted incidents are damaging the prospect of the protection of our children. According to UNICEF, children are falling victim to different violence like sexual harassment, violent attack, physical punishment, mental torture and neglect across the world.
While violence, sexual harassment, child labour, early marriage and mental harassment have become some regular issues in the country, most of the parents are unaware of law and child protection services, provided by the government to ensure security and protection of our children.
About 17 lakh children, mostly males, are engaged in child labour in the country. Adolescent girls are the victims of sexual harassment along with violence even in their own home. An atmosphere of risky condition of early marriage and human trafficking are putting our girls into serious insecurity. Many children are taking the path of unsafe migration to earn bread due to poverty.
According to an Annual Report of Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), 3,845 children faced different types of violence and repression last year. According to information of BSAF and Police Headquarters, 351 children were raped and 216 children were killed in the first six months in 2018.
Child rights activists attributed three reasons to violence; these are due to previous family dispute, extra-marital relations and a culture of less communication among people in the society.
It is thought that children living in cities are more vulnerable than the children in rural areas. Rise of single family system, increasing number of working mothers, and absence of proper care for children are the reasons behind children abasement and violence upon them home and outside directly or indirectly.
Children living in the rural areas are also becoming victims to violence. At the community level, lack of awareness about the rights of children is making our children more vulnerable. It is needed to teach the children the strategy of self-protection at home and school. Along with girl child, it is also needed to teach the male child about values and morals at home and school. Parents and teachers have significant role to play in this case.
There are also other reasons behind the insecurity of our children. Putting importance on result-oriented education are sometimes the main reason behind the physical and mental torture upon children. Achievement-centric such tendency is seen more in the urban areas, which has turned the childhood of our children into trauma.
Strong control and physical oppression by the parents in many cases cause trauma and thus causes violence upon them. Many children commit suicide due to such behaviour from parents and society.
Besides, teachers, relatives, friends and outsiders take the chance and cause repression and sexual harassment upon girl children in many cases that parents and family members need to be very careful in order to ensure their safety and security.
Conjugal conflict, divorce, involvement in immoral activities, poverty, extra-marital relations are responsible for child repression and violence upon them directly or indirectly.
The government has taken a number of steps for upholding the rights of children. Child Rights Charter (CRC), adopted by UN General Assembly in 1989, was ratified by Bangladesh government in 1990.
Bangladesh has also enacted a number of Laws for the protection of our Children. Children Act 2013, Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, Birth Registration Act 2004, Family Violence (Protection and Prevention) Act 2010, Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012, Pornography Act 2013, Labour Law 2006, Family Court Ordinance and Guardians and Wards Act etc are the active interventions of the the government to protect our children and their rights.
Besides, National Children Policy 2011, National Education Policy 2010, and National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010 were formulated to ensure the rights of our children. Strong implementation of the laws with the combined efforts from all concerned will stop child repression and violence upon them and thus protect our children.
To create and increase awareness regarding the services provided by the government regarding child protection, mass media should play a vital role and the role of media has to be exploited at its fullest. And above all our sincere awarencess and combined effort will be the prime factors to save and protect our children and so our future.
(Md. Sazedul Islam, a freelancer, email: [email protected])
