When laws fail to protect children

That the corporal punishment of children is banned is nothing new. But the fact is there are few schools or madrasahs countrywide that are following this rule. The issue has once again come into focus and triggered public outrage after two recent incidents of violence against children surfaced on social media. Such incidents, however, are far from isolated. It is everyday reality in educational institutions and even within families, usually going unreported and unnoticed, but silently inflicting lasting harm on young minds. 

In one such recent incident, an executive member of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) forced a group of teenagers to hold their ears and perform sit-ups for allegedly playing on the university's central field. A video of the incident went viral on social media on Sunday, triggering widespread condemnation. The footage shows a line of about 30 boys - estimated to be between 10 and 20 years old - carrying out ear-holding squats on one side of the field, while DUCSU member Sarba Mitra Chakma standing in front of them holding a stick. 

In another incident a few days earlier, a video showing the assault on a four-year-old child inside a kindergarten school in the capital also went viral. CCTV footage shows the school principal Sharmin Jahan beating the child in her office, repeatedly slapping him on the face and cheeks. Her husband Pabitra Kumar Barua, who is the manager of the school, was also seen violently shoving a boy, and at one stage threatened to staple his lips unless he kept silent about the incident. 

The child later complained of pain in his head, neck and ears and suffered hearing difficulties, after which he was taken to hospital for treatment. Following the incident, the child's mother filed a case with Paltan Police Station, naming the principal and her husband as accused. Subsequently, Pabitra Kumar Barua was arrested, while the principal remains absconding.

The Children Act, 2013 provides for the protection of children. There is also the National Children Policy and domestic violence act which explicitly outlines children's rights and protection. In addition, the Ministry of Education banned corporal punishment in educational institutions across the country in 2011. Under existing laws, any form of abuse, torture or neglect is a punishable offence. Treating a child with contempt, humiliation or intimidation them also constitutes a criminal offence. Legal provisions further  ensure support when a child seeks legal remedy through a guardian.

However, despite these safeguards, children in Bangladesh remain highly vulnerable, largely due to the absence of an effective mechanism to monitor whether policies and laws are being properly implemented. Child rights activists and lawyers say that although laws exist, Bangladesh still lacks a comprehensive child protection framework. While corporal punishment was banned in educational institutions, detailed rules and regulations were never issued, rendering the ban largely toothless. As a result, children's safety cannot be guaranteed in any sphere - be it the family, society or educational institutions.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and has pledged to eliminate all forms of violence against children and to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for their growth. However, the reality on the ground for many of the country's approximately 49 million children is harsh, to say the least as a section of teachers lack awareness regarding the implications and consequences of physical punishment.

Numerous bodies of international research has documented the harmful effects of corporal punishment on children. Studies show that physical punishment not only negatively affects a child's emotional well-being and academic performance, but also erodes self-esteem and the sense of dignity. Rather than correcting behaviour, it often creates fear, resentment and long-term psychological distress.

One of the most alarming findings is that the tendency of inflicting physical punishment has remained over time. Mild forms of punishment in early childhood frequently prove ineffective, leading caregivers or teachers to apply increasingly severe measures as the child grows older. What begins as a light slap can gradually turn into harsher and more damaging forms of violence.

Research also consistently indicates that corporal punishment encourages aggression instead of discouraging it. Even a small act of physical punishment sends the message that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflict or control behaviour. Children who are subjected to such treatment are more likely to show aggressive behaviour towards siblings, engage in bullying at school, participate in antisocial activities during adolescence, and later resort to violence in their own relationships and families. Reflecting this evidence, national commissions on violence in countries such as the United States, Australia, Germany, South Africa and the United Kingdom have recommended ending corporal punishment as an essential step towards reducing violence in society as a whole.

Beyond behavioural outcomes, corporal punishment can cause deep psychological harm. Research highlights that experiences which associate care with pain, or authority with fear and submission, are particularly damaging. Such experiences can distort a child's emotional development, undermine trust in adults, and leave lasting scars that persist well into adulthood.

One of the main reasons corporal punishments persists even after the ban is not merely a lack of awareness about its impact, but also gaps in teachers' professional capacity, including inadequate training in classroom management and limited strategies for dealing with inattentive or disruptive students. Moreover, in some cases, teachers use violence against children as an outburst of personal frustration.

After speaking with several teachers who admit to using physical punishment, this correspondent learned that many view it as a last resort, applied when they feel they have no other option. A number of teachers complained: "What else could I do?" If this question can be meaningfully answered by equipping teachers with practical, non-violent strategies to manage classrooms and engage learners, this harmful practice can be significantly reduced. A lot of training is needed for the teachers in this regard. Along with the theoretical explanation of why they should not beat or scold students, they should also be told what they should do instead.

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