The Coalition Towards Ending the PHP against Children has expressed deep concern over the restriction of visitation rights for children in the country’s development centres.
The coalition is calling for immediate reforms to ensure regular meetings between children and their legal guardians, human rights activists, and lawyers and for considering bail options for children in legal conflict.
It has been reported that children in the Tongi Development Center are only allowed to meet visitors for just two days each month.
This restriction is particularly troubling in light of recent cases involving school students who were detained during the anti-discrimination student movement.
During their detention, lawyers were restricted to visiting only on these two designated days per month, despite attempts to access the children to file legal petitions.
The coalition argues that such limitations constitute a clear violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 31, 32, and 33 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, which ensure the right to life and personal liberty and the right to legal representation. Additionally, these restrictions contravene the Child Act of 2013, specifically Sections 63(4) and 52, which mandate the protection of every child's best interests, constant supervision, humane treatment, and bail provisions under specific conditions.
Furthermore, the coalition asserts that these visitation restrictions breach Article 37(c) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees every child the right to maintain contact with their family through correspondence and visitation.
Article 3(1) of the Convention also emphasizes that the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children.
In light of these issues, the coalition is urging immediate judicial reforms to guarantee visitation rights for detained children in all development centres across the country.
They demand the issuance of a prompt and effective directive to ensure that legal guardians, lawyers, and human rights activists are granted access to meet with children, thereby ensuring their best welfare and aligning with constitutional and international standards.
