As many as 697 children have been raped in the last eight months and 285 have been killed, according to a child rights forum report.
Joining Forces Bangladesh: Child Rights Now, a forum made up of six rights organisation published the findings in a report titled ‘Root to Rights: Children are Speaking Up’ on Tuesday (Sept 24).
The forum includes agencies namely Educo Bangladesh, Plan International, Save the Children in Bangladesh, SOS Childrens Villages International and Terre Des Homes and World Vision.
The report said that in the last eight months, amongst children aged between one to four, 43 percent drowned and 1.2 million children are entrapped in child labour.
It unveiled that 67 percent of the parents support the traditional form of punishment in the country while 79 percent raise hands on their child at home.
The report recommended that more budget be allocated for children, establishing the rights of children to express their views, increased coordination between the several government agencies, a separate directorate for child rights and initiate legal measures to prevent and stop violence against children.
“The government is sincere in establishing the rights of children,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan who was the chief guest at the event.
“It has been made apparent by mid-day meals for children, new textbooks for them and stipends for them,” he said.
The minister said that the projects involving child rights will be given priority and despite the government’s limited fund several initiatives have been undertaken for children.