Stop cruelty to childrenStop cruelty to children

How a society treats its women and children is a measure of how civilised it is. The less caring a society is for these vulnerable members, the less civilised it is. Mahatma Gandhi once said "The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members." If we accept this notion, Bangladesh's performance is very poor on the civilisation measurement scale. The country has failed to ensure minimum protection for its children against abuse and cruelty. Incidents of infanticide, filicide, child homicide, and violence against and cruelty to children have become so frequent and common that they do not shock people anymore. In a very short span of time recently, several incidents of child murders and cruelty took place. In the first case, a mother stabbed her two children to death at Tongi on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, in the second case, a boy dies when three others pumped air into his rectum in Dhaka's Mirpur and in the third case, a boy abducted six months ago by a family acquaintance from Pabna was rescued in Khulna begging with his fingers broken, nails pulled off and body shattered in torture to win sympathy from strangers. There may be more such cases of which society and law enforcers are completely in the dark.

Cruelty to and abuse of children are deep rooted in our society. It was not long ago when most of the parents would mercilessly beat their children over trifle matters and encourage teachers to discipline students by caning. Physical and psychological punishment in domestic and education institutional settings was so normal that it would be no exaggeration to say that such punishment for the so-called sake of education was a part of our culture. Bangladesh was not alone to tolerate child abuse; many countries, particularly those from the Third Word, was indifferent to this societal ill, prompting the international community to came up with initiatives to stop it and all other forms of child abuse.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989, setting forth the legal and moral obligations of governments to protect and promote the rights of children, including protection from all forms of violence. Bangladesh, as a signatory to the Convention, has enacted and enforced, like many other countries, a law to this end and its impact has been visible, but the ground reality is still far from what was expected. According to the UNICEF, nine out of 10 children aged 1-14 years in Bangladesh experience violent discipline at home every month, affecting over 45 million children nationwide. The state of children in street situations is worse than others. A 2022 survey found that 83 per cent of street children face abuse or harassment by pedestrians, while nearly half experience violence at their workplaces. Child abuse takes place in multiple forms, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse and even through neglect.

Cruelty to and abuse of children in Bangladesh is a big concern that requires sustained action to reverse the situation. Concerted efforts from government agencies, civil society, non-government organisations, media and the international community can help the cause. By recognising the severity of the problem, strengthening of legal protections further and fostering a culture of zero tolerance to abuse, the country can pave the way for a safer and more nurturing environment for its young citizens.

rahmansrdk@gmail.com