Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon all including teachers and guardians to groom the children as worthy citizens of the country so that they could lead the nation in the future.
She urged them not to give children physical punishment and unnecessary rebuke that put psychological pressure on the kids and hamper their proper growth.
The prime minister emphasised projecting the true history of the country’s liberation war to the children as well as to inspire them with patriotism.
“Today's children will lead the world in future and be the architect of the changing days,” she said at a function, marking the World Children Day-2013, at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital.
Chaired by State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki, the function was also addressed, among others, by Secretary of the Ministry Tariqul Islam.
The prime minister reiterated her government’s firm commitment to build Bangladesh as the safe home for children as well as to ensure a children-friendly atmosphere and establish their rights in family and society.
Mentioning the 15th August tragedy in which her younger brother 10-year- old Sheikh Russell was brutally killed along with most of their family members, the Prime Minister said her government has been working relentlessly to stop the recurrence of such heinous incidents.
She recalled that the Bangabandhu’s government had enacted Children Act in 1974 much before the UN adopted the Children Rights Charter in 1989. The present government formulated the National Children Policy-2011 and ensured rights and development of children through bringing them in the mainstream of country’s development, she added.
Terming autistic children an inseparable part of society, the prime minister urged all including non-government organisations to come forward along with the government in transforming the autistic children as human resources.
Hasina highlighted the other initiatives taken by her government for the welfare of children.
She said that making primary education compulsory, the present government has expanded and developed its activities to a great extent while pre-primary school has also been introduced.
Besides, four work plans - Special Need Children, Gender, Tribal Children and Vulnerable group Children - have been undertaken to bring all children under education programs, she added.
As a result, the Prime Minister said, 99 percent enrollment of children has been ensured and dropout rate reduced significantly thereby enabling Bangladesh to win the MDG-2 award.
Besides, she said her government distributed free textbooks and provided stipends up to secondary level students while various steps have been taken to explore their talents in socio-cultural activities and sports.
Later, the Prime Minister enjoyed a cultural programme presented by the children.