Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– More than 1100 children were murdered in the country in three years, according to statistics available with human group Manusher Jonno Foundation.
Child rights activists said that causes for the murders were diverse and ranged from family enmity, personal clashes and land dispute to failure to pay ransom and criminal activities.
They expressed concern about the child rights situation and said that the government should take effective measure to save children from violence of all types.
Manusher Jonno Foundation programme coordinator Abdullah Al Mamun told New Age, a local newspaper, that according to the State of Children in Bangladesh 2013: Taken from Newspapers, which is pending publication, 335 children were murdered in 2013.
He added that 414 children were murdered in 2012 and 334 children in 2011.
He said that 103 children were kidnapped and 6 of them were killed after kidnapping in 2013; 265 children were kidnapped in 2012 and 15 of them were killed after kidnapping; and 90 children were kidnapped in 2011 and 2 of them were killed.
According to Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum’s report titled Status of Child Abuse in Bangladesh 2013, 180 children were killed in 2013 and 201 were killed in 2012.
Both Abdullah Al Mamun and the Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum director, AS Mahmud, told the newspaper that they released findings of news on children, published in six national daily newspapers to portray the situation.
Mahmud said that in Bangladesh, a large number of children were deprived of basic rights. In addition, children are exposed to severe forms of physical and mental violence at home, in work place, in institutions and in other public places.
The nature and extent of violence against children, irrespective of age, sex and class, is increasing day by day.
Mamun said that this was worrying that children fell victim to family and land disputes.
They both said that family enmity, personal feuds, land disputes and the failure to pay ransom and criminal activities were reasons behind such murders.
Salma Parvin, a teacher of clinical psychology in Dhaka University, said that murders of children created a negative impact on other children.
‘They get frightened and start harbouring mistrust in the adult,’ she said.
Children also get engaged in violent activities to show peer groups their might, she added.
The women and children affairs secretary, Tariq-ul-Islam, said that any harmful activities toward children were also harmful towards the nation as children were the future.
Social awareness is important in stopping the murder of children. Law enforcers should be more watchful to end stop such incidents and punitive action should be taken against culprits, he added.
BBN/SSR/AD-17Mar14-10:32 am (BST)
