DHAKA, May 2, 2018 (BSS) – Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today urged the members of parliament (MPs) to stop child labour and incorporate them in the main stream development by protecting their rights.
“Work jointly to ensure the child rights . . . as the MPs can play a very significant role to protect the rights of the children,” the speaker said while inaugurating a two-day “South Asia Parliamentarian Platform for Children” programme at a hotel here.
Dr Chaudhury urged all parliament members of the South Asian countries to work together for increasing mass awareness to protect the rights of the children.
She stressed for exchanging experiences with each other country so that they can take necessary steps to come down the child poverty in this region.
“The MPs can take proper initiatives with time-befitting suggestions through concerned parliamentary standing committees – specially the JS committee on women and children affairs, education, primary education and finance ministries,” the speaker added.
Noting that the formulation of a children-friendly budget can help reduce the number of dropout students and allocate a cash incentive for the children to inspire them for schools, she said, “As a result, the child labour would reduce and the overall poverty development index would be enhanced.”
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) organized the programme. UNICEF’s South Asian Regional Deputy Manager Philippe Cori, South Asian Regional Director Jean Gough and Social Affairs Director of the SAAR C Rishfa Rasheed also spoke there.
Lawmakers from different South Asian countries including SAARC states and other concerned personalities are attending the two-day programme.