'17,000 children drown a year'
About 17,000 children die in drowning in the country every year and about 46 children everyday, speakers said at the inaugural ceremony of a procession organised to create awareness among parents and children about the importance of swimming in Mirpur in the city yesterday.
About 1,500 children aged between 4 to 10 years joined at the procession in Baunia embankment area.
Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) organised the event as part of Safety Week 2009 programme.
With the assistance from Bangladesh government, Unicef Bangladesh, The Alliance for Safe Children, CIPRB has been promoting swimming among children since 2005. Under the project Swimming for Life, CIPRB so far given swimming lessons to 40,000 children.
Speakers said swimming can save many lives and it can also be a source of entertainment and sportsmanship.
Syed Imtiaz Ahmed of Unicef Child Protection, Dr Kamran Ul Baset, national coordinator of CIPRB, Dr Animesh Bishwash, project coordinator of CIPRB, Aminul Islam Liton, member of Bangladesh Swimming Federation spoke on the occasion.
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