Rescuing stray kids from vicious circle

Urchins roam the streets unaware of when they may be picked up by the police. PHOTO: Syed Zakir Hossain

'Never torture picked-up children, do not confine them with adults. Give them a patient ear. Note their names and ages and try to find their parents or get in touch with social workers' -- are some of the mentioned 'dos and don'ts' Aparajeyo-Bangladesh wants the police to know to change their practices in dealing with street children.

The NGO will dispense the handbook, which contains information on how to react and whom to contact when a stray kid has been picked up in the near future. "We have put up some of the mentioned rules on signposts at the Tejgaon, Kotwali, Sutrapur and Ramna police stations," said Animul Islam, programme coordinator of Aparajeyo-Bangladesh.

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The number of homeless children in Dhaka is estimated at 7 lakh, according to the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies. Aparajeyo-Bangladesh provides 6,000 to 10,000 of them with a new home, education and vocational training.

When eleven-year-old Smriti was brought to the Motijheel Police Station, she was greeted by Ramina Choudhury, a social worker who visits police stations on behalf of Aparajeyo-Bangladesh and looks into the interests of these children that are picked-up. If the children's parents cannot be located, the NGO provides them with shelter and education. The social workers of this NGO have been visiting police stations for two years and Smiriti's case is a sign that the NGO's efforts are not in vain.

According to SI Iqbal from the Motijheel police station, the police feel relieved with this kind of cooperation.

But children are still being abused and deprived of their rights at police stations. Some police officers hand the children over the court, even if they are not involved in crime, said a social worker from Aparajeyo-Bangladesh said, adding that officers sometimes use section 86 of the DMP Act for those suspected of sex work, as the legal basis for this practice.

"We think that children should not be directly sent to court. The experiences in police stations, courts, correction centres or jails have negative effects on a child. After all, there is still the open street waiting for the young person," said Animul Islam from Aparajeyo-Bangladesh.

Besides Dhaka, Aparajeyo-Bangladesh is active in Chittagong, Barishal, Kulna and Jamalpur. Their annual budget is approximately Tk 8 crore, provided by international donors.