DHAKA, Bangladesh, Nov 25 (BSS)- 33 million children in Bangladesh-
about half of all Bangladeshi children- are living in poverty while about one in four children is deprived of at least four basic needs- food, education, health, information, shelter, water, and sanitation, according to a UNICEF study released here today.

According to this new study, 64% of children in Bangladesh are deprived of sanitation while 52% deprived of information, 57% deprived of nutrition, 41% deprived of shelter, 16% deprived of
health and 8% deprived of education.

These finding were presented at the launch of the UNICEF Study on Child Poverty and disparities in Bangladesh at a city hotel here.

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury launched the document as the chief guest while Chief Information of Commissioner of Information Commission Azizur Rahman, Secretary of Planning Ministry External Resources Division Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Secretary of Women and Children Affairs Ministry Shaikh Altaf Ali and UNICEF local representative Carel de Rooy were present at the event.

According to the study, one key determinant of children poverty is the level of the mother's education: the higher the mother's level of education, the lower the chance for the child to be affected by deprivation. The mother's education also has a mitigating impact on the severity of the child's deprivation.

In Bangladesh, one out of every six children is a working
child. While there are about 63 million children in the total
population, the total number of working children aged 5-17 years
is 7.42 million.

The children of Bangladesh's poor family face serious
hardships in terms of child deprivation and vulnerability, the
study said.

The report was presented by Professor Dr Abul Barkat, lead
consultant of the national study, which was conducted by the
Human Development Research Centre.

UNICEF initiated the study as part of a global initiative
covering 46 countries in seven regions, working closely with
government and non- governmental organisations to pool expertise,
knowledge and evidence on children.