“If law enforcement officials could hunt down criminals one by one and ensure that they were punished, the children would get a better environment. Also, criminals would resist committing crimes out of fear that they will be punished,” he said.
Reazul added that children were over burdened with exams, which boded ill for their mental health while also making it more difficult to monitor and trace question paper leaks.
The NHRC chairman also drew attention to the government’s failure to set up a children directorate or commission, as well as in controlling drug addiction among the youth despite a number of initiatives.
No rehab centre has been established for the betterment of drug addicted children, he said, adding that the government should try to tackle these problems in small steps rather than all at once.
The NHRC chairman further asked for more clarity from the government regarding how they are allocating and spending the budget for the wellbeing of children.
BSAF Chairman Ikramul Ahsan echoed the NHRC chairman’s call for better monitoring systems and a clear government plan of action.
Meanwhile, BSAF Director Abdus Shahid Mahmood said they, in collaboration with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and with the support of UNICEF, had established a district level Child Welfare Board in Rajshahi last year, with nine upazila level equivalents having also been set up. Five more are scheduled to be completed in 2018.
BSAF sources said 22 boards had been established earlier, but they are all currently inactive.
Although the rules of the Children Act are yet to be formulated, authorities could form the boards if they want, the BSAF director said.The Bangladesh government is yet to formulate rules for the Children Act 2013 despite four years having passed since it was enacted, said speakers at a program on Monday.
NHRC Chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque, chief guest of the program organized by Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), said the Children Act was enacted following the direction of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), but little progress has been made since then in the formulation of its rules.
“This is hampering efforts to save our children by delaying the act,” he said.
The program was organized at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the capital to present data on the state of child rights in 2017.
At the program, the NHRC chairman pointed out that a culture of impunity, faulty education system, drug addiction and political willingness all played a role in worsening the situation for children in Bangladesh.
“If law enforcement officials could hunt down criminals one by one and ensure that they were punished, the children would get a better environment. Also, criminals would resist committing crimes out of fear that they will be punished,” he said.
Reazul added that children were over burdened with exams, which boded ill for their mental health while also making it more difficult to monitor and trace question paper leaks.
The NHRC chairman also drew attention to the government’s failure to set up a children directorate or commission, as well as in controlling drug addiction among the youth despite a number of initiatives.
No rehab centre has been established for the betterment of drug addicted children, he said, adding that the government should try to tackle these problems in small steps rather than all at once.
The NHRC chairman further asked for more clarity from the government regarding how they are allocating and spending the budget for the wellbeing of children.
BSAF Chairman Ikramul Ahsan echoed the NHRC chairman’s call for better monitoring systems and a clear government plan of action.
Meanwhile, BSAF Director Abdus Shahid Mahmood said they, in collaboration with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and with the support of UNICEF, had established a district level Child Welfare Board in Rajshahi last year, with nine upazila level equivalents having also been set up. Five more are scheduled to be completed in 2018.
BSAF sources said 22 boards had been established earlier, but they are all currently inactive.
Although the rules of the Children Act are yet to be formulated, authorities could form the boards if they want, the BSAF director said.
“If law enforcement officials could hunt down criminals one by one and ensure that they were punished, the children would get a better environment. Also, criminals would resist committing crimes out of fear that they will be punished,” he said.
Reazul added that children were over burdened with exams, which boded ill for their mental health while also making it more difficult to monitor and trace question paper leaks.
The NHRC chairman also drew attention to the government’s failure to set up a children directorate or commission, as well as in controlling drug addiction among the youth despite a number of initiatives.
No rehab centre has been established for the betterment of drug addicted children, he said, adding that the government should try to tackle these problems in small steps rather than all at once.
The NHRC chairman further asked for more clarity from the government regarding how they are allocating and spending the budget for the wellbeing of children.
BSAF Chairman Ikramul Ahsan echoed the NHRC chairman’s call for better monitoring systems and a clear government plan of action.
Meanwhile, BSAF Director Abdus Shahid Mahmood said they, in collaboration with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and with the support of UNICEF, had established a district level Child Welfare Board in Rajshahi last year, with nine upazila level equivalents having also been set up. Five more are scheduled to be completed in 2018.
BSAF sources said 22 boards had been established earlier, but they are all currently inactive.
Although the rules of the Children Act are yet to be formulated, authorities could form the boards if they want, the BSAF director said.