UNB, Khulna :
Operation of Sarkari Shishu Paribar in Khulna city is being seriously hampered for multifarious problems, including inadequate fund allocation, poor infrastructure and manpower shortage.
Consequently, the state-run children’s home for boys now no more appears to be an ideal shelter centre for the residents.
Sources said four children escaped from the centre in the last one and a half years finding the environment here unfriendly for them.
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy superintendent of the Sarkari Shishu Paribar, descried internal conflict between the residents and their inability to adjust themselves to the environment here, upon coming from diverse corners of the society, as the reasons behind their escape from the children’s home.
Sources said Bakul,14, who had been brought from Juvenile Development Centre, managed to flee from the children’s home in 2013 and has not returned since then.
He had link with a section of drug addicts.
Another boy, Shaon,14, fled from the children’s home in 2012.
After a frantic search, the authorities managed to find him out but he was handed over to the authorities of JJS through legal process.
He had been involved in terrorist activities.
Besides, on November 4, 2014, two minor boys-Munir, 8, and Rhidoy, 7, fled from here.
However, the authorities of the children’s home managed to track down Munir from Rupsha Bazar on November 7.
Earlier, Munir had fled from the same shelter centre in October this year in fear of getting beaten by an arrogant boy named Sumon.
Mother of Rhidoy alleged that the two children fled as there was no security guard posted at the gate of Shishu Paribar.
A general diary had been lodged with the police station in this connection.
At first, the government had set up the children’s home in a two-storey building on 3.49 acres of land at Mahashwerpasha in the city in 1974 giving it the name, ‘Shishu Sadan’.
Later a similar shelter centre named ‘Chhoto Mani Nibash’ was set up on the ground floor of the building and the authorities renamed the two, now being run jointly, as ‘Shishu Paribar (Boys) and Chhoto Moni Nibash’.
During a recent visit, this correspondent found that the two-storey building of the Shishu Paribar was quite unfit for living.
Each of its rooms is crammed with 20-25 boys far beyond their capacity giving no sound environment for the residents’ study.
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy superintendent of Shishu Paribar (Boys), said the 110-feet long boundary wall of the children’s home has been lying broken for long.
Even the main dormitory building of the centre has remained unfit for living since July, 2010.
Besides, the authorities have kept the children in a haphazard way in the ‘Chohto Moni Nibash’ section on the ground floor, at guard barrack and the deputy superintendent’s office, he added.
The children’s home is being run with 11 people and it is so hard to manage the children with such a short number of staff, he admitted.
He also blamed manpower shortage and infrastructural facility for the poor security system.
A tender has been floated for the reconstruction work of the building, he added.
Operation of Sarkari Shishu Paribar in Khulna city is being seriously hampered for multifarious problems, including inadequate fund allocation, poor infrastructure and manpower shortage.
Consequently, the state-run children’s home for boys now no more appears to be an ideal shelter centre for the residents.
Sources said four children escaped from the centre in the last one and a half years finding the environment here unfriendly for them.
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy superintendent of the Sarkari Shishu Paribar, descried internal conflict between the residents and their inability to adjust themselves to the environment here, upon coming from diverse corners of the society, as the reasons behind their escape from the children’s home.
Sources said Bakul,14, who had been brought from Juvenile Development Centre, managed to flee from the children’s home in 2013 and has not returned since then.
He had link with a section of drug addicts.
Another boy, Shaon,14, fled from the children’s home in 2012.
After a frantic search, the authorities managed to find him out but he was handed over to the authorities of JJS through legal process.
He had been involved in terrorist activities.
Besides, on November 4, 2014, two minor boys-Munir, 8, and Rhidoy, 7, fled from here.
However, the authorities of the children’s home managed to track down Munir from Rupsha Bazar on November 7.
Earlier, Munir had fled from the same shelter centre in October this year in fear of getting beaten by an arrogant boy named Sumon.
Mother of Rhidoy alleged that the two children fled as there was no security guard posted at the gate of Shishu Paribar.
A general diary had been lodged with the police station in this connection.
At first, the government had set up the children’s home in a two-storey building on 3.49 acres of land at Mahashwerpasha in the city in 1974 giving it the name, ‘Shishu Sadan’.
Later a similar shelter centre named ‘Chhoto Mani Nibash’ was set up on the ground floor of the building and the authorities renamed the two, now being run jointly, as ‘Shishu Paribar (Boys) and Chhoto Moni Nibash’.
During a recent visit, this correspondent found that the two-storey building of the Shishu Paribar was quite unfit for living.
Each of its rooms is crammed with 20-25 boys far beyond their capacity giving no sound environment for the residents’ study.
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, deputy superintendent of Shishu Paribar (Boys), said the 110-feet long boundary wall of the children’s home has been lying broken for long.
Even the main dormitory building of the centre has remained unfit for living since July, 2010.
Besides, the authorities have kept the children in a haphazard way in the ‘Chohto Moni Nibash’ section on the ground floor, at guard barrack and the deputy superintendent’s office, he added.
The children’s home is being run with 11 people and it is so hard to manage the children with such a short number of staff, he admitted.
He also blamed manpower shortage and infrastructural facility for the poor security system.
A tender has been floated for the reconstruction work of the building, he added.
