¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·

CHILDHOOD, from birth to eighteen, is the single most formative period in human life. It is during these years that the foundations of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, motor and linguistic development are laid. Research suggests that up to 90 per cent of brain development, along with socio-emotional and linguistic skills, occurs before the age of three. These early ‘development windows’ are shaped by a wide array of socio-economic, cultural and political factors. Unless these drivers are synchronised and properly addressed, children’s opportunities for healthy growth are compromised. Even small failures in care or protection can create obstacles to a child’s natural learning and developmental trajectory. Children are uniquely sensitive, and their protection demands sophisticated, responsible and consistent attention.

In Bangladesh, as in many countries, the reality is grim. Almost every child—regardless of whether they are born into wealth or poverty, or whether they live in rural or urban areas — experiences some form of abuse or exploitation of their right to protection. These violations take many forms: physical punishment, bullying, neglect, emotional and economic exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse, child labour, trafficking and even killing. Children typically suffer these harms not at the hands of strangers, but from those who are supposed to protect them: parents, caregivers, teachers, peers, extended family members and community figures. Today, institutional and domestic abuse, along with peer-on-peer harassment, have reached alarming levels.

This pervasive problem stems from deep social and cultural insensitivity to children’s rights. A lack of awareness about the consequences of abuse, institutional weakness, poorly enforced policies, indifferent communities and irresponsible parenting all contribute to the crisis. Schools seldom act as safe spaces. Ministries responsible for children’s affairs frequently fail to coordinate effective responses. And children themselves, voiceless and powerless, are unable to influence the decisions that directly shape their lives. Despite the advances of the modern age, society still struggles to recognise children as full human beings deserving dignity, safety and respect.

One manifestation of this indifference is the way harassment of adolescent girls by schoolboys is treated as a harmless rite of passage, dismissed as ‘boys being boys.’ Such attitudes normalise sexual harassment and perpetuate sexism, leaving perpetrators unpunished and victims silenced. Teenaged relationships, whether consensual or coerced, often lead to sexual exploitation, early marriage or other harmful practices. International human rights law and Bangladesh’s own legislation make any sexual relationship involving a minor punishable, yet child marriage remains staggeringly high at around 51 per cent, according to UNICEF.

Beyond sexual exploitation, other forms of abuse, including corporal punishment, emotional neglect and bullying, are brushed aside as if they are trivial or even necessary. Many parents and teachers still believe harsh discipline produces better behaviour. In reality, such practices damage children’s socio-emotional and cognitive development, eroding confidence and capacity to learn.

Addressing these challenges requires multidimensional and multisectoral solutions, involving reforms at systemic, institutional, community and family levels. National and international frameworks already exist. Bangladesh is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and has enacted the National Children Policy 2011, the Children Act 2013 and the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010. It has also adopted ILO Conventions against child labour and workplace harassment. Yet these policies largely remain confined to paper. Without genuine implementation, adequate resources and strong accountability, they fail to make a meaningful difference. While public outrage occasionally follows incidents of sexual abuse or killing, other equally damaging forms of abuse — bullying, neglect, emotional maltreatment — are largely ignored.

What can be done? Several strategies are clear and urgently needed.

First, reform education. Schools must become the frontline for protecting children’s rights. Curricula should incorporate age-appropriate lessons on safety, respect, personal boundaries and socio-emotional development. Instead of burdening children with endless exams, private tuition and rote learning, schools should foster environments that build confidence, self-awareness and critical thinking. The Ministry of Education must ensure that every school has a functional protection mechanism, including clear channels for complaints, whistleblowing and professional investigation of abuse.

Second, ensure inter-ministerial coordination. The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs should lead visible initiatives, such as annual national and subnational conferences on child protection, where progress is measured, reports are shared and perpetrators held accountable. Likewise, the Ministry of Health must integrate adolescent health and mental wellbeing services into primary care. These are not optional add-ons but core elements of a modern protection system.

Third, tackle inequality head-on. Poverty, disability and social exclusion compound the risks to children. Deliberate strategies are required to reach those furthest behind, through equitable education and healthcare systems, targeted social protection schemes and specialised support for children with disabilities.

Fourth, mobilise communities. Community leaders, both social and religious, must be educated on the importance of children’s rights and equipped to act. Community-based mechanisms can play a vital role in preventing abuse, intervening early and supporting affected families. Adults at every level must understand their duty to protect children — not only from high-profile crimes like trafficking and child labour but also from the everyday harms of disrespect, neglect and emotional damage.

Fifth, change parenting. Parents and caregivers must embrace positive and informed approaches. Overbearing or neglectful parenting both harm development. Raising children requires balance, understanding and sensitivity, ensuring that safety and emotional wellbeing are nurtured as naturally as physical growth.

International NGOs such as BRAC have demonstrated that effective protection systems are possible. Their programmes, rooted in the UNCRC, combine clear safeguarding policies, community training, reliable reporting mechanisms, psychosocial support, case management and referral pathways. These models show what can be achieved when rights-based approaches are taken seriously. Government agencies, particularly the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, should adopt and scale up such programmes nationwide, coordinating efforts across ministries to protect every child.

Children are not simply future adults — they are citizens of today, entitled to full protection of their rights. Yet in most societies, including our own, they remain the most neglected group. Abuse and exploitation are brushed aside as ‘normal’ or ‘inevitable,’ expected to fade with time. During natural disasters or other crises, children’s specific needs are almost always overlooked at every stage, from prevention and response to recovery and reconstruction. Their vulnerability and voicelessness mean their losses go uncounted and their potential goes unrealised.

The responsibility for protecting children cannot fall on one actor alone. It is a collective duty of government, communities, schools, parents and non-state organisations. Only a well-coordinated, resource-backed mechanism at both national and local levels can close the gap between policy promises and the lived reality of children.

Bangladesh must urgently replace its culture of indifference with a culture of accountability. This means prosecuting perpetrators of all forms of abuse, not only the most sensational cases. It means embedding children’s protection in schools and communities, not treating it as a bureaucratic checkbox. And it means recognising that the rights of children are not charitable favours but legal and moral obligations.

If we continue to dismiss abuse as harmless or inevitable, we will raise generations of damaged citizens whose potential is stifled before it even begins to flourish. But if we choose to take the protection of children seriously — by enforcing existing laws, reforming institutions, empowering communities and transforming parenting — we will be investing in a brighter, safer and more humane future.

Ìý

Md Siddique Ali is a former country director (interim) and programme manager, education, BRAC International in Afghanistan and worked at several positions at Concern Worldwide and UCEP Bangladesh.