Staff Reporter :
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund [UNICEF] has expressed severe concern over the recent brutal killings of children in different parts of the country saying that it’s a serious violation of child rights.
“As an organization working to promote and protect child rights globally, UNICEF Bangladesh observes with alarm the recent incidents of children being subjected to violence and publicly beaten to death in some parts of the country,” UNICEF Representative, Edouard Beigbeder, said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“This is a serious violation of child rights and UNICEF expresses its grave concern over such issues which have shaken the entire country”, the statement added.
“UNICEF works in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world with the government, non-governmental organisations and civil society to promote child rights and protect children from violence and other harmful practices, including child labour, children marriage and corporal punishment. Urging the government to take stern action against the violators, the statement said, “UNICEF strongly believes that the Government of Bangladesh will do everything within its power to bring perpetrators to justice and help to end such violence against children.
“It is important to note that due to the pervasive and proactive media coverage on child rights issues, incidences of child abuse, beating and even killing are now coming under sharp focus.
“UNICEF Bangladesh takes this opportunity to highlight the responsible role played by the country’s media in reporting such crimes against children and feels that the rights of all children, especially those from marginalized groups, will be better protected through the collective effort of all concerned,” the statement also said.
