Childhood is essential part of the complete process towards the development of a productive and healthy human being. Despite this, an alarming number of children all over the world are living in environments that are mostly inhospitable to their physical and mental growth. Children are by their very nature defenseless and dependent. In a country like Bangladesh, the majority of the children have to fight for sheer existence, specially the street children.

Glimpse of Bangladesh

　　　　Presently, Bangladesh is located in one of the world's most disaster prone environments, which has an ever increasing population of 128 million, consists with 65 thousands' villages; and also the political unrest is a natural scenario of these days. It has 200 years colonial experience under the British and 24 years of Pakistani rule.

　　　　People of the then East Pakistan (named Bangladesh through liberation war in 1971) were deprived through language disparity, cultural dominance and economic exploitation by the West Pakistani regimes directly. For these reasons inevitable emergence of Bangladesh on 26 March 1971, as an independent state exemplifies an unprecedented struggle for freedom and finally achieved victory on 16 December 1971, through 9 month vigorous armed struggle against the Pakistani military junta by sacrificing of 3 million.

　　　　Through almost a quarter century journey, Bangladesh trying her best efforts for well-being of the people. But often presents a tragic scenario characterized by poverty and death.

Facts of he Socioeconomic Perspectives

　　　　Bangladesh encompasses an era of 143,999 kilometres. Agro-based economy depends on the wooden made plough, once proverbically and justly apotheosized as 'Golden Bengal'. With a view to improving the quality of life of the people, the government has embarked upon massive development programmes. A large number of Private Voluntary Development Organisations (PVDO) have also been actively participating in this process.

　　　　At present, GNP (Per Capita income) of Bangladesh is about 240 US $ , in comprising per capita foreign loan is about 100 US $ . Rate of population growth is about 2.6%. Approximately 20 million youth are un-employed. About 52% people are living bellow poverty level. Only 12% people have the access to sanitation arrangement. 87% is not getting the medical services from the graduate doctors. 65% people does not know to read or write.

Children : At-a-Glance

　　　　For every 1000 children born, 122 die before the age of five. Two-third its under-fives are malnourished and less than half of Bangladeshi children complete even five years of primary education. In addition, diseases strike frequently and disability rates are alarming high. In the crowded hothouses that is Bangladesh, more than 40% of newborns weight less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces --" low weight" by international standards. More than a quarter of a million children will die of diarrhea in 1995, the ministry of health estimates, whereas oral rehydration therapy (ORT) discovered in Bangladesh 26 years ago. ORT could prevent diarrhea dehydration.

　　　　Primary school enrollment was 70% in 1992. Only 23% of enrolled students finish primary education. Primary school age students are 12 million. Secondary school age students are 0.35 million. School going boy-girl ratio is 56:44. In the recent years, girl enrollment is increasing. Regular attending children : 35%. Dropout boys and girls: 17% in the first two years.

　　　　The primary school dropout is high, only 4 out of 10 reach class V: only 10% of girl's age 10-14 are in school compared to 25% of boys. H.S.C. examination, in grade of the starters is only 5%.

　　　　　　

Rate of Primary Students up to Class V : 1986-92
Boy : 74	Girl : 64
Rate of Admission in Secondary School : 1986-92
Boy : 25	Girl : 12

　　　　30% children can never get access to schooling. 70% Children leaves the school boundary forever within the primary level. The education system in Bangladesh does not yet have the capacity to educate all the children in the country. Not only lack of school but the quality of education itself poor. The general impression of primary education tends to be negative for poor quality of teaching and lack of community participation.

　　　　About 2 thousands' children die everybody in Bangladesh. 665 of them are only for malnutrition. This is a painful news, but it is a reality of present socio-economic condition of Bangladesh.

Street Children

　　　　It is estimated that in 1990 there were about 2 million street children in urban Bangladesh. This is expected to rise to 3 million by the year 2000.

　　　　Street children include both the children of the street who spend 24 hours a day in the street and the children who spend most of the time in the street but return home, basically in the slums ; every night. These children work to survive and live in subhuman conditions. Urban children are exposed not only to diseases but also to the streets and dangers of urban life.

　　　　80% of street children have no schooling. They work as street trader, household shopping helper called "minti", street vendor, street hawker, household servant, garbage picker, shoe-shiner, or involved in illegal activities such as begging and prostitution. Millions are considered as "street children", either because they work on street or are abondoned by their parents. Apparently they treat as homelessness. A survey of 1991 shows that children of 7-12 years work for Taka 30 only (US $ 1 is equal to Taka 40 approx.) per day outside the household, without parental protection. They don't care for schooling and often are harassed or abused by local hoodlum, political activist, gang star,drug dealer, drug addict or drug depended and even by the law enforcement people.

　　　　Street children --- widely known as "Tokai", in Bangladesh; titled by prominent cartoonist Rafiqunnabi RANABI. Street children also titled as "Pathokoli", means street flower by former President General H. M. Ershad.

　　　　Children (under 15 years old) constitute 45% of the total population in Bangladesh. 5-9 years old are 15%. Similar to the disparities and inequalities in rural - urban economic conditions, the children's situation in rural areas are more alarming as compared with the children of urban areas.

Poverty Push Them to the Street

　　　　Women in rural areas have to do hard work to earn their living and also perform household duties. Children also from childhood are compelled to help the parents for earning income and it badly affects their health, nutrition and education. Illiteracy of parents is shifting towards children. Due to the scanty income of the fathers, mothers also seek employment to supplement household incomes, thereby not only causing serious damage to better care of children but also compelling elder children to look after sibling or seek some job for feeding family. In view of all this, it can be concluded that --- poverty is the greater killer of children in Bangladesh. Although, child labour is illegal in Bangladesh by law.

　　　　There is one child worker for every seven labourer in the country. In the formal sector they generally work as helpers to the adult workers, Studies shown that they are subject to exploitation in terms of long working hours (more than 8 hours ), poor wage rate, inadequate basic facilities, etc. It is found that most of the children in domestic services are sickly, under-weighed and of frail physical structure due to malnutrition and poor living conditions. For these many reasons the children of Bangladesh are not growing with peaceful atmosphere . They became anti-social elements. One study shows that, one in every ten criminal are children. This is so alarming ! Below 18 years old children are 53 million in Bangladesh. About 3 million people are living in slums' areas in the Dhaka Metropolitan City total of 8 million. A substantial portion is disabled children in Bangladesh.

(To be continued)


Bablu Rahman
(Journalist, Writer and Development activist)