National dialogue calls for joint action to end exploitation of children

Bangla Press Desk:  Representatives from government and non-government organisations have called for coordinated social initiatives to end violence against and exploitation of children.

They also stressed that ensuring a safe environment for the children of garment workers requires building local child protection structures that are community-based, sustainable, and inclusive.

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Local Government Division, and the Department of Social Services were identified as key agencies in this effort.

Experts called for the initiative on Monday at a national seminar in Dhaka, titled Community-Based Child Protection Mechanism for the Children of Garment Workers in Bangladesh, jointly organised by Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL), Breaking the Silence (BTS), and Village Education Resource Center (VERC).

The seminar was chaired by Nazrul Islam, country manager of TdH NL Bangladesh, and moderated by Md Zahidul Islam, director of BTS.

At the programme, Nurul Kabir, programme coordinator of TdH NL and focal person of the CBCPM project, said millions of children in Bangladesh are deprived of their right to identity.

“There are 102 child courts, but more than 23,000 juvenile cases remain pending. Compared to last year, incidents of abuse against girls have risen by 75%, while 306 children have been victims of violence in the first seven months of this year,” he said.

Quoting UNICEF, he said, “Nine out of ten children aged one to 14 face physical punishment or psychological abuse, often by parents, teachers, or guardians. About seven percent of children aged five to 17 are engaged in child labor, with many very young children working in hazardous conditions. The most neglected among them are the children of garment sector workers.”

Department of Social Services Director General Md Saidur Rahman Khan said, “Children continue to suffer various forms of physical and mental abuse, including visible and invisible traps on the internet. For healthy development, these must stop. Community involvement is crucial for a safe future. Both government and non-government actors need to work together.”

He also said a National Platform for Child Protection has already been formed with organisations working for children.

Chairing the seminar, Nazrul Islam said many families migrate from villages to cities in search of work but lose the support systems they had back home. “Children from such families grow up in extreme uncertainty.

To address this, TdH is currently running 16 Early Childhood Development Centers in Mirpur and Gazipur for children of garment workers and marginalised communities. Factory owners should also take initiative to support these children,” he said.

The seminar ended with several recommendations, including: creating a child-friendly protection framework for the children of garment workers; piloting community-based child protection mechanisms in garment areas; establishing a specialised child protection unit within law enforcement; setting up a dedicated child-friendly directorate like the Department of Women Affairs; building a coordinated national child protection system to prevent violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation; reforming laws and updating policies in line with international human rights standards; and ensuring a child-friendly justice system.

Department of Women Affairs Director (Joint Secretary) Naima Hossain, Padma Apparels Industry Director and BGMEA Standing Committee Chair Javed Hossain Bhuiyan, Assistant Commissioner Faria Tasnim, District Child Affairs Officer Rasheda Begumm, TdH Italy Country Representative Rajib Debnath, Ward councilors Meherun Nesa and Parveen Akhter, Adviser at Ain o Salish Kendra Mabrook Mohammad, and INCIDIN Project Advocate Md Rafiqul Alam, among others, spoke at the programme . This article was originally published on Daily Sun. 

.