Child rights assembly on Monday demanded immediate implementation of Child Bill 2013 to ensure the rights of children in the country.
At a press conference, they urged the government to form required boards, committees and recruiting manpower as early as possible.Child Rights Governance Assembly organised the press conference on ‘Children Bill 2013’ at the Dhaka Reporters Unity.
CRGA chairperson Emranul Haque Chowdhury said by replacing the Children Act 1974, parliament on June 16 passed the ‘Child Bill 2013’ which defined child as any person below the age of 18 years.
He demanded immediate implementation of the Child Bill 2013 through gazette notification to ensure the rights of children.
The CRGA chairperson expressed deep concern as the government did not mention any specific date of gazette notification of the Child Bill 2013.
He urged the government to form all required boards, committees and recruit manpower under this proposed law within three months of gazette notification.
Emranul said that by formulating a rule the government should clear funding issues which would be used for children as in the law they did not clear the fund of children.
He said the Children Bill-2013 had provisions of various punitive measures for violence against children, setting up special courts for trial of children for criminal offences, creation of National Children’s Welfare Board, District Children Welfare Board and Upazila Children Welfare Board to take care of underprivileged children and etc.
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association director (legal aid) Rehana Sultana referred to an article of the law and said if any person engaged any child in acts of terrorism that person would be punished (life term punishment) under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.
She expressed concern over the article and demanded withdrawal of this term as it would violate human rights as well as create scope for misusing the act.
Rehana also said that the government needs to recruit child-friendly officials in law enforcing agencies and judiciary as the proposed law suggested setting up at least one children’s court in every district and metropolitan city.
Child Rights Governance Assembly general secretary AK M Mushtaq Ali, INCIDIN Bangladesh executive director Ratan Sarkar and Society for Underprivileged Families deputy director Tipu Sultan also present at the press conference.
-With New Age input
