Speakers at a discussion on Wednesday called on the government to take strong legal action to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
They said that the authorities must act with urgency against culprits, make sure victims were rescued and provided with proper rehabilitation support.
International Justice Mission, a global rights organisation, held the event in Dhaka city to mark the inauguration of its new office for its Project Shurakkha to combat widespread child sexual exploitation.
The launch event at The Westin Dhaka hotel brought together government officials, law enforcement, civil society representatives and international experts, where speakers stressed the need for stronger child protection systems and collaborative action to safeguard vulnerable children.
IJM鈥檚 regional vice-president for South Asia Claire Wilkinson in her keynote address said, 鈥楽afeguarding children requires both collective effort and robust structures.鈥�
Organisation chief programme officer Blair Burns attended as chief dignitary, while NGO Affairs Bureau director general Md Daud Miah and Department of Social Services director general Md Saidur Rahman Khan joined as special guests.
Other notable participants included Al-Amin Noyon, president of Anirban; additional deputy inspector general of the Criminal Investigation Department Ali Akbar Khan, and additional secretary of the Security Services Division Khondakar Md Mahabubur Rahman.
Organisers said that Project Shurakkha would focus on four areas: strengthening the justice system, bringing offenders to justice, rescuing and restoring victims, and making stronger demand for justice.
International experts, including Sharon Cohn Wu, Atty Samson Inocencio, and Maria Theresa C Casino, shared regional perspectives on tackling trafficking and exploitation in South Asia.
A panel discussion later brought together government and non-government representatives to explore ways to strengthen child safeguarding in Bangladesh.
The programme concluded with remarks from Wilkinson and UNAIDS Bangladesh country director Dr Saima Khan.
According to IJM estimates based on literature review and stakeholder interviews, 20鈥�50 per cent of people in the sex trade in Bangladesh are children, meaning potentially 40,000 to 100,000 children are being sold at any given time.
With tens of thousands of children exploited in brothels, massage parlours, and private homes, IJM said that urgent protection and justice measures were critical.
