HPM Sheikh Hasina for ensuring equality for all children

"Bangladesh is a country 160 million people, where we have ensured food security of everybody. (But) we have to remain aware so that no child deprived of food, education and health services," she said.

The prime minister made the call while inaugurating World Children's Day and Child Rights Week-2016 at a function organized by Ministry of Women and Children Affairs at Sufia Kamal Auditorium of Bangladesh Shishu Academy here today.

Sheikh Hasina said children are country's future and the future leadership will derive from them and so "we need to build them up as competent citizens for future and scope should be created for them everywhere in the family, society and cultural arena to flourish their talents".

"Children are holy creatures, who do not born with poverty, it depends in which family he/she is born," she said adding that sense of poverty and prosperity should not be created in children mind from their childhood.

The premier added: "So I will call upon every well-off people of society to give attention to food, education and wellbeing of children near his doorsteps."

State Minister for women and children affairs Meher Afroz Chumki presided over the function while secretary of the ministry Nasima Begum, chairman of the Bangladesh Shishu Academy noted litterateur Selina Hossain and UNICEF's country representative Edouard Beigbeder spoke, among others.

Farzana Akhter Meem and Mujibur Rahman, two students of Shishu Bikash Kendra of Shishu Academy at Azimpur and Gazipur also spoke on the occasion.

The World Children's Day and Child Rights Week-2016 is being observed in the country as elsewhere in the world with the theme "thakbe shishu sobar majhe bhalo, desh-somaj poribare jhalabe ashar alo" (children will remain good amongst all of us, and lit up the light in the country, society and family).

On the occasion an art work of the students of Shishu Academy was presented to the Prime Minister. Later the Prime Minister also enjoyed a cultural programme performed by the children of the academy.

Sheikh Hasina said children's rights should be protected wherever they live and urged everybody to remain careful so that every child get their rights, scopes to enjoy a beautiful and prosperous life to develop them as good human being.

The Prime Minister listed the prgrammes taken by her government for children and said it would continue to take more innovative projects for the betterment of the children and build up them as worthy citizens of the country.

"Every child will get education and they will get modern technological education to prosper them and every child irrespective of rich, poor, able or disable would enjoy equal rights in society," she said.

Sheikh Hasina added: "We want to establish an exploitation society where there would have no discrimination for children".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government framed many legislative provisions in light of the country's Constitution which ensured special provisions to protect their rights.

She said the government formulated the national Child Policy in 2011 and in light of that policy National Child Act-2013 has also been enacted.

In addition, she said, a policy has been framed for primary healthcare and growth of the children in a coordinated manner.

Sheikh Hasina said complimentary distribution of textbooks, mid-day meal and financial support of the government in the form of stipends and scholarships to the poor families have contributed to reduce the rate of school dropout.

The Prime Minister said e-electronic versions of all textbooks of primary and secondary level were made while multimedia classroom and ICT lab are being were set up in schools to facilitate the student in getting modern and technology based education.

The government has taken steps to build at least one school in every village while children friendly education system and learning centre were introduced for children of working calls and disadvantageous families, the prime minister said.

The Prime Minister said programmes were taken for searching creative talents in four subjects - language and literature, daily science, math and computer and Bangladesh Studies aiming at flourishing the talent and innovative capacity of the children.

The government, she said, underlined high emphasis on expanding sports facilities for children while Bangabandhu Gold Cup and Bangamata Begum Fazilatunesa Mujib Gold Cup football tournaments were introduced.

Besides, inter-school sports and cultural completions are being arranged for primary students, she said.

The Prime Minister said the government is operating vocational training programmes and introduced capitalization grants in all government-run Shishu Paribar, Baby Home, day care centres and private orphanage for welfare of the children.

Maternity leave has been extended to six months from four months while day care centers were opened for working mothers, the Prime Minister said adding that these steps helped reducing mother and child mortally rate to an appreciating level.

Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation used to love the children. So the present government has declared the birthday of the great leader as the National Day for Children.

She urged the children to grow them up with the good moral virtues to become golden sons of the country as dreamt by Bangabandhu.