Safe childhood for a safer country

We need the government, the public, the media, the civil society and NGOs to come together and do everything possible to ensure that the children are not deprived of their rights

Childhood is usually referred to as a “carefree” and “fun” phase by most of us but these children who are not getting any education, who are either dying of malnourishment or who are constantly ill due to lack of basic facilities, who lose their innocence and their childhood because of child labour, will never be able to refer to their childhood as anything but traumatic.

These children see a very different childhood because of their living conditions; they go through child abuse at a very young age, they are discriminated against and they have no protection from society. It is evident that the state of child rights in the country is deplorable, to say the least.

We need the government, the public, the media, the civil society and NGOs to come together and do everything possible to rectify the situation. As a former secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, once said: “There is no duty more important than ensuring that children’s rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want.” With a major percentage of Bangladesh’s population aged 15 or below, the government must take the issue of child rights seriously. There must be a coordinated policy in place with proper legislation on child rights and making sure that existing laws are fully implemented.

In a country where human rights often clash with economic considerations, many often find difficult to take an unequivocal stand on child labour. They find it difficult to answer a simple but a difficult question: Is putting food on the table more important than education or vice versa?

Unfortunately, this is a choice many have to make every day and some don’t even see anything wrong in sending their children out to work to supplement the family income. In such a challenging scenario, it is the duty of the state to spread a safety net wider so that children are not burdened with such duties and families are not forced to send their children to work.

Children are the future of any society but the way we are treating many of them is shameful and a disgrace for humanity. If we want this country to progress and move forward in the right direction, it is important that we protect child rights. If we continue to neglect their rights, we may pave the way for a disastrous future for the country.

Safe childhood for a safer country

We need the government, the public, the media, the civil society and NGOs to come together and do everything possible to ensure that the children are not deprived of their rights

Childhood is usually referred to as a carefree and fun phase by most of us but these children who are not getting any education, who are either dying of malnourishment or who are constantly ill due to lack of basic facilities, who lose their innocence and their childhood because of child labour, will never be able to refer to their childhood as anything but traumatic. These children see a very different childhood because of their living conditions; they go through child abuse at a very young age, they are discriminated against and they have no protection from society. It is evident that the state of child rights in the country is deplorable, to say the least. We need the government, the public, the media, the civil society and NGOs to come together and do everything possible to rectify the situation. As a former secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, once said: There is no duty more important than ensuring that childrens rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want. With a major percentage of Bangladeshs population aged 15 or below, the government must take the issue of child rights seriously. There must be a coordinated policy in place with proper legislation on child rights and making sure that existing laws are fully implemented. In a country where human rights often clash with economic considerations, many often find difficult to take an unequivocal stand on child labour. They find it difficult to answer a simple but a difficult question: Is putting food on the table more important than education or vice versa? Unfortunately, this is a choice many have to make every day and some dont even see anything wrong in sending their children out to work to supplement the family income. In such a challenging scenario, it is the duty of the state to spread a safety net wider so that children are not burdened with such duties and families are not forced to send their children to work. Children are the future of any society but the way we are treating many of them is shameful and a disgrace for humanity. If we want this country to progress and move forward in the right direction, it is important that we protect child rights. If we continue to neglect their rights, we may pave the way for a disastrous future for the country.