Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has said necessary steps would be taken to make additional budgetary allocation for the disadvantaged street children for their mainstreaming. “Street children are no longer burden of our society.I will request the Finance Minister to make additional budgetary allocation for the disadvantaged street children,” Inu told the concluding session of a two-day convention at BIAM auditorium here on Thursday. Helping Children Working and Living on the Street (HCWLS), a project run under the Population Services Training Centre (PSTC), arranged the national convention titled ‘Protection of Street Children and their Rights’ in cooperation with Plan Bangladesh.
PSTC executive director Professor Milon Bikash Paul chaired the function while project manager Shanti Ranjan Sarkar gave the welcome speech.
Head of Advocacy of Stimulating Household Improvements Resulting In Economic Empowerment (SHIREE) Sajia Ahmed, lawmaker Advocate Sanjida Khanom, Country director of Plan Bangladesh Ming Ming Remeta Evora, programme manager of Dhaka Programme Unit Abdul Mannanand and actress Afsana Mimi addressed the function.
Lecturer of Communications and Media Studies of State University Sajib Sarkar presented a keynote paper in the convention.
on Role of Media in developing Awareness of Child Rights and their Protection in Bangladesh while child specialist Aminul Islam presented another paper on Street Children Perspective of Bangladesh: Roles, Responsibilities of Duty Bearers and Way Forward.
Inu called upon the non-governmental organizations to provide services to the street children considering that the children deserve those as rights instead of social welfare.
Bringing street children under mainstream development is a political commitment of the present government, he said adding that private sector should come up with supports to supplement the government effort.
The information minister said street children could be turned into skilled manpower by providing them with basic services in the society.
“Let’s work for building a happy and ensured future for the street children,” said Ming Ming Remeta.
The concluding session was followed by adoption of a 13- point recommendation for the development of street children.
The recommendations include increased budgetary allocation, keeping street children out of political activities including hartal, increased awareness against all sorts of repression against street children and better education for them.
-With The Independent input
