Save the Children has urged the government and all political parties to protect children from the ongoing political violence and to give them a chance to sit for exams.
Save the Children, an international organisation that works with children worldwide, also expressed deep concerns at the impact of the ongoing political unrest and violence on children in Bangladesh.
A press release sent by Save the Children says that several children have been killed and injured as a result of arson attacks on transport vehicles, crude bomb attacks, and other forms of violence.
Michael McGrath, country director of Save the Children in Bangladesh, said in the press release: “From the beginning of this year, until February 12, 11 children have been killed and a further 12 have been injured due to hartal/blockade-related violence. Children have also been used in rallies and attacks on transport.”
In addition, he claimed, the current political tension has had a major impact on children’s education, as schools have largely been closed from Sunday to Thursday for the last one-and-half months. All children have missed classes, and many have had their exams rescheduled.
“Beyond the immediate impact on safety, health, and wellbeing, we are apprehensive about the psychological impact of the violence on children. Research indicates that children who live in a climate of fear can change in a number of ways as a result of that exposure to violence,” he said.
McGrath further said studies have found that persistent fear and the neurophysiological adaptations to this fear can alter the development of the child’s brain, resulting in changes in physiological, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social functioning.
“It is well known that children raised in a consistently violent environment are much more likely to be violent,” he added.
He, however, said: “Young children exposed to chronic violence may also ‘tune out’ as a self-preservation strategy. If they lose hope in mainstream political processes, they may even turn to more extreme elements.
“Save the Children strongly feels that the key actors involved in the current crisis are not doing enough to avoid harming children. Sadly, there seems to be indifference to the safety and wellbeing of children.”
The Save the Children country director remarked that in Bangladesh children are highly valued. We cannot imagine that any person would want children to suffer, either directly or indirectly, he added.
“We therefore appeal to all parties to the current conflict to make their top priority the protection of the physical and psychological health, and ensuring access to educational opportunities for the children of this great country,” said McGrath in the press release.