Nari Maitree
Rights activists at a conference on Tuesday said that child trafficking goes on unabated in the country mainly due to culture of impunity as most of those engaged in the crime could not be punished. Big criminals, responsible for the trafficking, could not be arrested while small criminals though arrested later came out on bail taking advantage of loopholes of laws, they said. There are provisions of severe punishment stipulated in ‘The Human Trafficking Deterrence and Suppression Act-2012’ and ‘National Plan of Action (2015-2017)’ for committing the crime, but these could not be properly enforced, which encouraged the offenders to carry on their activities, they added. They came up with the remarks while addressing the ‘annual national conference of PCTSCN 2017’ at CIRDAP auditorium at Topkhana Road in the capital on Tuesday (Dec 26). “The government is obliged to take actions as it ratified some international documents for combating the crime. Our constitution also stipulated for protecting human rights of all the people of Bangladesh”. Organised by Nari Maitree, Kazi Reazul Hoque, Chairman , National Human Rights Commission, attended the programme as the Chief Guest. Mohammad Zafrul Hassan, Senior District Judge and Director , National Legal Aid Services Organization, Dr Abul Hossain, Project Director , Multi-Sectoral Programme on Violence Against Women, Binoy Krishna Mallick, Executive Director of Rights Jessore, Mahmudul Kabir, Country Director of TDH Netherlands Bangladesh, among others, spoke. A.K.M Masud Ali, Executive Director of INCIDIN Bangladesh, presented the key-note paper at the programme, which was presided over by Shaheen Akter Dolly, Executive Director of Nari Maitree, says a press release.
IUBAT
Dhaka Bank Managing Director & CEO Syed Mahbubur Rahman and Professor Dr Abdur Rab, Vice-Chancellor, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Dhaka Bank and IUBAT on behalf of their at conference room of IUBAT recently. According to the agreement, students and guardians can pay the university fees through the Dhaka Bank from any point of the country. This agreement was signed with the first bank between IUBAT and Dhaka Bank. This is a new milestone of IUBAT Digitization. Registrar, chairs of all departments, coordinators, teachers and officials of Dhaka Bank were present at the signing ceremony, says a press release.
Bikash Socio-economic Dev Org (BSDO)
Speakers at a discussion here on Tuesday said enhancing public awareness alongside enforcement of laws is needed to resist child marriage everywhere in the society.They said flourishing their latent talents together with building them as educated could be the vital means of founding Bangladesh as a dignified nation in the future. The observations came at a view-sharing meeting titled “Child Marriage and Women Health” held at office conference hall of Divisional Director of Health in the Rajshahi city on Tueday. Bikash Socio-economic Development Organization (BSDO) arranged the meeting. Representatives and members of all organizations concerned joined the programme discussing ways and means on how to mitigate the problem. Director of Health Dr Abdus Sobhan addressed the meeting as chief guest with President of BSDO Shaheen Akter Rainy in the chair. Editor of Daily Sonar Desh Akbarul Hassan Millat presented a concept paper on the issue while BSDO General Secretary Azizur Rahman welcomed the participants. Director of Partner Organization Alima Khatun Lima, Panel Lawyer of LOFS Advocate Shahinul Haque, Journalist Ayesha Siddiqua and President of local unit of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad Kolpona Roy also spoke.
“There are social and economic reasons behind the child marriage. The public representatives will have to aware the people about the consequences of child marriage and legal provisions in this regards,” Dr Abdus Sobhan said. He urged all to make neighbours aware against the child marriage to get good results in removing the social disease.
Akbarul Hassan Millat said responsive support from the community, especially teachers, parents and influential leaders, has become a must for reducing child marriage substantially.
He said eradicating child marriage is imperative in creating a glorious Bangladesh and building a social resistance against child marriage is important.
Shaheen Akter Rainy said there is no alternative for creating community awareness through raising school-based awareness on adolescence for combating the existing rate of child marriage. The practice of child marriage is very damaging, especially for girls. It seems that girls are treated as burden to society, mostly in rural areas.
