Protect rights of street children
Speakers tell consultation
Speakers at a divisional consultation here yesterday made recommendations for protection of rights of street children in the national child policy.
There are about 10 lakh street children in Bangladesh, and they must be given shelter and trained with technical education to make them self dependent, said Additional District Commissioner (ADC) of Chittagong Ehsan-e-Elahi, who was chief guest at the meeting.
He said the government and non-government organisations would have to work in collaboration in this regard.
The ADC also urged all to respect and obey laws, saying that there are around 2500 laws in the country but very few of those are properly implemented.
The consultation meeting was organised by Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) with support from Plan Bangladesh at a hotel in the port city.
Ashok Kumar Das, a lawyer, said many street children were still languishing in Chittagong Central Jail, while they should have been put in juvenile correctional centres.
He urged the government to enforce the existing laws properly.
Ishrat Jahan Bizu, senior advocacy officer of BNWLA, made a presentation on the legal draft provision on street children at the meeting.
Presided over by BNWLA deputy director Tahmina Khatun, the programme was addressed, among others, by BNWLA divisional head of Chittagong Wahida Ishrat Iqbal, Additional Public Prosecutor (metro) Rahima Akter Tajmahal, Bangladesh Legal Aids and Services Trust (BLAST) staff lawyer in Chittagong Halima Saida Khatun, social activist Jasmine Akter Paru, and ward councillors Afroza Kalam and Arju Shahabuddin.
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