Last year, during the inauguration of World Children’s Day and Children’s Rights Week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the ministries of women, children affairs, and social welfare to take necessary steps to ensure food, shelter, and education for every street child of Bangladesh.
No child should live on the streets, as the government has the capacity to feed 3.4 million street children, she said. She had also urged the authorities to ensure every child’s education in their areas, and warned that by no means would the government accept violence on domestic help and the engagement of children in risky jobs.
A report from Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) projects the number of street children will reach 1.56 million by 2024. The given situation clearly reveals that there are no comprehensive and reliable statistics available on the actual numbers, living conditions, needs, and interests of street children. But the fact remains: Street children constitute one of the most vulnerable and marginal groups in Bangladesh.
Though several acts and policies have been formulated in order to protect the rights of children, the number of street children and their vulnerability is increasing over time with rapid urbanisation.
In 6.2 section of the National Children Policy, it has been stated that the Social Safety Net has to be expanded to ensure the rehabilitation of all poor children and street children. In addition, the National Plan of Action for Children (2005-2010) also clearly emphasises the urgent need for “education and empowerment.” Education is one of the most pressing needs for the street children that clearly has been ignored over the years. Article 17 of the Constitution of Bangladesh recognises the right to education for all, including the disadvantaged children.
In Bangladesh, it has been reported that thousands of children on the streets are being denied their rights. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises that every child is entitled to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development.
Children in Bangladesh living on the streets are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. These children also live with increased risks to their safety and well-being. Many of them work, often in hazardous and low-income jobs, to support themselves and their families. Due to low family income and unemployment of parents, many families depend on their children’s earnings to survive. Children who live on the street are vulnerable to other forms of exploitation and frequently fall victim to sexual abuse, physical torture, trafficking, and abuse by the police.
Extensive criminal networks make substantial profits by engaging children in commercial sex work, smuggling, stealing, and in the distribution of drugs and weapons. They are looked upon with discrimination, which isolates them from mainstream society. Following the hardship and abuse of life on the street, many children suffer severe psychological trauma.
In order to protect the rights of the street children, child development centres, vagrant homes, or orphanages are rarely considered in Bangladesh. Though a limited number of centres/care houses are run by the government and non-government organisations (NGOs) -- the number remains quite low compared to the children living on streets. On the other hand, the standard of care provided in the institutions also raise questions, while the lack of monitoring leads to more questions.
Considering the increasing number of street children and their diversified problems, it is very much necessary to take proper and effective steps to protect the children from all types of violations, to ensure their basic necessities so that they can grow as a citizen and contribute to the country.
Mass awareness programs can contribute in changing attitudes toward street children. A comprehensive effort is required from the government, NGOs, and private sectors for the welfare of street children. In addition to all efforts, better equipped shelter homes should be built for them.
Finally, we have to understand that the children of today are the hopes of tomorrow. Street children are a part of the nation’s future. They deserve some attention from the state and its citizens.