<i>'Three out of 10 get married before 15'</i>
* People aged 10-19 make up one fourth the total population* 35pc malnourished adolescent girls are underweight
The State of the World's Children 2011 published by the Unicef yesterday revealed that three out of 10 adolescents get married before the age of 15 in the country, which is one of the reasons for high maternal mortality and morbidity.
The report titled "Adolescence: An Age of Opportunity" showed 3.39 crore people, at present, in Bangladesh are adolescents (aged between 10 and 19), which is one fourth of the total population.
At the report’s launching ceremony at a city hotel, it was also said that a significant number of adolescent girls are suffering from malnutrition while 35 percent of them are underweight.
The report said strong investments during the last two decades have resulted in enormous gains for young children up to the age of 10. Yet only one in every five of them does not go to school, it added.
Besides, the adolescents are victims of child marriage, childhood pregnancy, drop-out from schools, child labour, sexual abuse, and many other problems due to socio-economic conditions.
Carel de Rooy, Unicef Bangladesh representative, said only 0.66 percent of the total allocation of the government's social safety net programme goes to the children directly. But the government should invest more on them.
"We need to focus more attention now on reaching the adolescents, especially the girls -- investing in their education, health and other measures to engage them in the process of improving their own lives," said Unicef Executive Director Anthony Lake.
Dr Shirin Sharmin Choudhury, the chief guest, said adolescence is given special importance at the National Children's Policy. Adolescents' club will be formulated soon to create platform for the children to communicate their problems, views, and needs.
Information Secretary Hedayetullah Al Mamoon and Unicef Communication Manager Arifa S Sharmin also spoke on the occasion.
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