PM emphasises child-friendly environment

3 October 2011, 18:00 PM

Unb, Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina affectionately pats a child on the cheek at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city yesterday at a programme marking World Children's Day. Photo: PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government is very much sincere about creating a child-friendly environment in the country through ensuring the safety of children from all sorts of exploitation and deprivation. Terming children as future leaders, she said the present government is implementing various programmes for full flourishing of children and ensuring their equal partnership at all levels in this era of globalisation and information technology. The prime minister made the remarks while inaugurating the International Children's Day and Child Rights Week 2011 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city. She directed the authorities to reduce the huge burden of textbooks for a smooth development of children's potential. Teachers and guardians, she said, should be more cautious about preventing all sorts of mental and physical torture both at home and in the schools. Hasina said the government will not allow anyone to use children for begging. “We are taking steps so that no child will be used as a tool for begging.” She also asked the authorities concerned to ensure the availability of playgrounds for children. In this regard, she mentioned that it is very hard to find any playground in the cities due to greed of the land developers. “We've to ensure safe places where children will be able to play. We are working to do this,” she said. Hasina said Bangladesh is one of the countries which ratified the UN Child Rights Charter. In line with this charter and the country's constitution, she said her government has formulated the National Child Policy 2011. She said father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman loved children and had formulated the child policy in 1974, 15 long years before the adoption of the UN Child Rights Charter. In order to spread Bangabandhu's love of children to the new generation, she said March 17, the birthday of Bangabandhu, is being observed as National Children's Day every year. She said every child has the right to have a name since its birth, to have vaccine from its 25th day, breastfeeding up to six months and right to go to school from five years. Hasina said to ensure good health of mother and child, her government has created three thousand midwives, strengthened Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation, established health and family welfare centre up to union level and increased maternity leave to six months. In this context, she mentioned receiving the MDG Award of the United Nations last year for the country's success in reducing child mortality. This year, she said, Bangladesh received South South Global Health and Children's Health Award in recognition of improving the health of women and children using information technology. Terming the theme of this year's Child Rights Week as time befitting and encouraging, Hasina said there should be plenty of opportunities for every child to use the information technology, helping them to learn about the advancements of the world. Keeping this in view, she said, her government has started computer training programmes in every district and a process is underway to provide laptops to the students at a cheaper rate. Besides, she said, parks and playgrounds across the country were being freed from illegal occupiers to ensure the development of physical and mental health of children. Hasina asked the filmmakers to make at least one children's movie each year and assured them of government support in this regard. She also called upon all to dedicate “Your present for a better future of children” and make united endeavors for building a happy prosperous future for the next generation. State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Unicef country representative Carol De Rooy and acting Women and Children Affairs secretary Tarique-ul-Islam, and two children - Abidur Rahman and Sarah Mehjabin - also spoke on the occasion. The PM later witnessed a cultural programme presented by the children.