Studies show rise in child pornography

Child pornography is on the rise in Bangladesh as 80 percent of the under eighteen-year-old girls involved in sex trade are forced to do so due to poverty, deception, trapping and torturing, said a seminar yesterday in the capital.
Manusher Jonno Foundation organised the seminar to share their studies titled "Child in sex trade, a situation analysis" and "Child pornography, an exploratory study at Dhaka" at Jatiya Press Club.
The findings revealed a major portion of both school going and out-of-school children are exposed to porno pictures in the form of poster and picture card and porn CDs.
They are getting involved in pornography in different means and most of them are influenced by their friends, cousins, pimps, boyfriend and video filmmakers.
The studies show easy accessibility to modern technology, illiteracy and ignorance of parents, absence of family cohesiveness, huge amount of money flowing, easy way to earn money, lack of proper implementation of existing The Children's Act 1974 and Children's Rules 1976 are blamed for children involvement in pornography.
Around 77 percent respondent to one of the studies said they get involved in pornography as viewers while a significant number of children have turned into performers and sellers of porn clips.
The finding also indicates that prevalence of child sex is high in southern region compared to northeastern and other part of the country.
In Cox's Bazar and Khulna, street based child sex workers are increasing in number while residence based sex workers are more in Habiganj.
Rokeya Sultana, secretary of women and children affairs ministry, while addressing the seminar as chief guest, stressed the need for finding out the root causes of the failure of some projects previously taken to prevent child involvement in sex trade and pornography.
Terming the government women and children friendly, the secretary said, "The government is very much sincere to give its utmost effort for the betterment of women and children."
Sustainable comprehensive programmes as well as social movement for creating awareness are a must to address the problem and ensure security for the vulnerable community, she said.
Speaking as special guest eminent academician Abul Momen said it is necessary to change people's mindset towards the male-female relationship.
While presiding over the seminar Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, urged people from all walks of life to work at their respective ends to address the problem.
AKM Masud Ali, executive director of INCIDIN-Bangladesh, Dr Zinnat Sultana, researcher of the studies, also spoke among others.