RANGPUR, Dec 10, 2019 (BSS) – Public representatives, business community
leaders and experts at a consultation here have stressed collective
government, non-government (GO-NGO) and private sector efforts to build a
child-friendly Rangpur city.
They expressed the opinion at the consultation with the private sector on
child friendly city initiatives held at Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (RCCI) conference room on Monday afternoon.
Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) and RCCI organized the event with UNICEF
support to seek cooperation from Directors of RCCI, business community
representatives and city corporation officials in this regard.
Mayor of RpCC Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa addressed the function as chief
guest.
UNICEF Rangpur Office-in-Charge Sonia Afrin, RCCI President Mostofa Sohrab
Chowdhury Titu and Panel Mayor of Rangpur Mahmudur Rahman spoke as special
guests.
UNICEF Child Protection Officer Jesmin Hossain in her keynote speech said
1.28 million children are engaged in hazardous child labour, like welding,
road transport, battery recharging, auto workshops, brick fields and tobacco
factories in Bangladesh.
Citing the Child Wellbeing Survey conducted by ILO-UNICEF in 2016, she
said over 400,000 children are employed in households, of whom, 80 percent
are girls and child labour was the highest in Rangpur division and lowest in
Barisal division.
She stressed building child protection support centre for children,
temporary shelter support for children deprived of parental care and
strengthening alternative care provisions.
The participants put importance on identifying root causes of child
labour, creating community level awareness, preventing school drop-outs and
good parenting to eliminate child labour.
They suggested developing a comprehensive action plan for child-friendly
city initiatives and expressed commitment to working with RpCC for
implementing those initiatives giving priority to overall development of
children and adolescents.
The RCCI President emphasized joint collaboration among private sector,
government institutions and local communities for eliminating child labour.
Sonia Afrin stressed engaging collective efforts in improving the living
standard of children by establishing their all rights as articulated in the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The chief guest promised to provide City Corporation’s support to children
in distress and make a child-friendly Rangpur city gradually.
UNICEF Emergency Program Officer Hafsa Rahman and UNICEF Communication for
Development Officer Monjur Ahmed also spoke.