Members of Parliament and representatives of government and non-government organisations have underscored the need to form an inter-ministerial committee to protect the interests of street children.

Speaking at a roundtable at Parliament Members’ auditorium on Tuesday, they observed that protection of street children has not yet been ensured yet ensured despite taking different steps by the government.

Thus, they said, the existing problems could be resolved by formation a national level committee comprising representatives of concerned ministries, departments, civil society and street children and taking a coordinated working plan, a press release said.

Street Children Activists Network-SCAN Bangladesh and Caritas jointly organised the roundtable with Jyoti Gomes, Caritas Dhaka Regional Director, in the chair.

In his article, SCAN Bangladesh general secretary Moniruzzaman Mukul mentioned that the government and the private sector initiatives have taken various measures to protect the street children, but still the number of street children is increasing.

Despite taking different initiatives by the government to bring street children back to the mainstream, the expected achievement is not possible due to lack of coordination, he said adding that there is no desired progress in the protection of child rights even in the project-based multifaceted activities at the private level.

He put emphasis on the need to form an inter-ministerial committee and presented an outline in the regard.

He said the proposed committee would ensure providing legal support, monitoring and evaluation of rehabilitation programmes, rehabilitation of drug addict children, stopping child labor and trafficking, inclusion of families in the government’s social safety net programme.

It will also ensure carrying out research, sending reports at the international level, conducting comprehensive public awareness programmess and coordinating street children activities, he added.

Mukul also underlined the need to establish a directorate of children and prepare special policies for the protection of street children.

Awami League leader and Member of Parliament Gloria Jharna Sarkar mentioned that the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken special programmes for protection of children and the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continues to implement that programmes.

She said the government has also taken different initiatives to transform villages into cities to control the flow of people towards the capital.

Awami League central leader and Member of Parliament Gloria Jharna Sarkar said that in independent Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took special programs for the protection of children. The government led by the current Prime Minister Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina continues to implement that program. To control the flow of people towards the capital, the government has taken initiatives to transform villages into cities.

Rezaul Karim Bablu, MP put emphasis on the need to increase awareness among the people for the protection of street children.

He said that the government has formulated laws and policies but there is no proper implementation of them.

“There is a lack of creating awareness at grassroots. Hence, many children end up on the streets and become victims of trafficking without the knowledge of their families,” he added.

Shirin Ahmed, MP, Khodeja Nasrin Akhter Hossain, MP, RAB official commanding officer M. Farid Uddin, Nikhil Chandra Bhadra of Sundarbans and Coast Protection Movement, SCAN President Jahangir Nakir, Mithun Sarkar of World Vision, SM Masudul Islam Neel, Shawmi Imam of ASD and Kamrunnahar of Caritas, among others, among others, also spoke on the occasion.