Govt to enact new child rights act

To protect children's rights, the government will enact the Children Act 2012 removing all loopholes in the existing laws, said Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday.
“After independence of Bangladesh, Children Act 1974 was enacted to ensure children's rights. Now, the incumbent government is working to formulate an appropriate and effective law for the protection of children from different types of harassment,” the minister said at a programme in the capital.
The children, especially the poverty stricken, are victims of different types of harassments, including physical and sexual, due to socio-economic condition of the country, the law minister added.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a launching ceremony on “Improving Child Protection and Rehabilitation of Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in Bangladesh” organised by Save the Children and its partners in a city hotel.
The law minister urged authorities of educational institutions and civil society members to come forward and create awareness among mass people about children's rights and their protection from any kind of torture.
Children are becoming victims of sexual abuse and exploitation not only in Bangladesh but all over the world, said William Hanna, ambassador, head of delegation of the European Union and ambassador to Bangladesh.