Discussants on Monday said rootless children were getting involved in criminal activities in the absence of sufficient number of shelter home and rehabilitation centre.
They emphasised comprehensive efforts of government, non-governmental organisations and the stakeholders concerned so that children get proper care and are not left to their fate.
They put forth the observations at a seminar on ‘rootless children: lesson learnt and way forward’ organised by Jyoti Development Foundation, an NGO working for rootless children in Kushtia Municipality, at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
According to a survey conducted by the organisation in the slum area of Kushtia municipality in 2005, a total of 30 out of 100 slum children were deprived of their rights in family, society and state.
Speaking at the seminar, Dhaka University philosophy department professor Abdul Mohit said all the stakeholders should make comprehensive efforts to bring back the rootless children to the mainstream of society.
Syeda Habiba, chief executive of the foundation, said the slum children had become rootless as the mother did not give enough time to the children and for lack of guardianship, they make decisions on their own and often fall prey to criminal gangs.
Referring to the government day-care centre policy, she said, ‘The rootless children do not find a shelter in the government shelter homes as they are not orphans but many of them don’t know the whereabouts of their parents.’
About activities of the foundation, she said, ‘Our objective is to help empowering the rootless children and vulnerable women in society and mainstreaming them for the development of the country.’