Third and Fourth Periodic Report on CRC - Unicef

Convention on the Rights of the Child
3.1 Measures taken on the concluding observations
The Government has taken several measures to ensure implementation of the principle of non-discrimination.
The State Party has in collaboration with development partners introduced monthly stipends for the families with
girl students provided they maintain certain criteria. The programme started with primary school students, now
extended to colleges (up to 12 Class). Gender parity has been achieved in access to primary education <strong>and</strong>
Madrasha education. The Government's initiative to recruit more female teachers (ensuring 60 percent job
quota in primary level) <strong>and</strong> incentives programmes for girls in secondary education could play positive role in
reducing gender discrimination.
The Ministry of Social Welfare's ARISE project represents an important initiative to realize the rights of the most
vulnerable children who are living on the streets in six divisional cities. From April 2007, the ARISE project has
been named as Protection of Children at Risk (PCAR) Project, being supported by under UNICEF. The project
will build the capacity of Government agencies <strong>and</strong> selected NGOs working with street children to provide
vocational training <strong>and</strong> education, access to safe shelters, health services <strong>and</strong> counselling. Children in institutions
such as vagrant homes, correctional centres <strong>and</strong> orphanages will benefit by the activities of PCAR project.
The Ministry of Primary <strong>and</strong> Mass Education (MoPME) has been implementing the Reaching out of School
Children (ROSC) Project in 60 Upazilas (sub-districts) for the disadvantaged children of 7-10 years of age, who
were never enrolled or dropped out from the formal schools. Another project, Basic Education for Hard to Reach
Urban Children (BEHTRUC), is being implemented in 6 divisional cities for the urban working children of 10-14
age groups.
The Strategies <strong>and</strong> Action Plan for Mainstreaming Special Needs Children <strong>and</strong> Strategies <strong>and</strong> Action Plan for
Tribal Children in Primary Education have been approved <strong>and</strong> are under process of implementation. These
include children/people of tea gardens, charl<strong>and</strong>s (small isl<strong>and</strong>s in the rivers), haor/baor/beel area (large water
bodies), coastal area, gypsy people (Bede) etc.
The State Party has undertaken several measures to uphold the best interest of the child such as preparation
of the NPA; National Children Policy, enacting/amending some related laws <strong>and</strong> legislative measures,
undertaking a number of programmes <strong>and</strong> projects, extending cooperation with NGOs/CBOs <strong>and</strong> development
partners, creating increased awareness about CRC.
The Children Act, 1974 prohibits the use of capital punishment against children under 16, but it allows imposition
of life term correction of such child. However, The State Party has made significant progress in this regard in
the recent years <strong>and</strong> in practice, the courts in these days rarely impose life sentences on children under 18, let
alone death sentence. While in January 2000 there were four children serving life sentence, as on 25 August
2007, there was only one of such child in an Adolescent Development Centre, KUK. The State Party is also
considering amendment of Children Act, 1974 so that rights of a child is ensured.
Children's participation received increased attention in recent years, promoted by both Government <strong>and</strong> the
development partners. Children participated substantively during the preparation of the Special Session on
Children <strong>and</strong> Global Movement for Children (GMC) in the country which helped to bring to the forefront the
importance of children's participation in national <strong>and</strong> international agenda. The children also participated in
preparing both the National Plan of Action for Children (2005-2010) <strong>and</strong> the National Plan of Action against
Sexual Abuse <strong>and</strong> Exploitation of Children including Trafficking (NPA-SAECT).
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