HC issues rule over giving birth certificate to all street children

The High Court (HC) on Thursday issued a rule upon the agencies concerned of the government to explain as to why they should not be directed to take necessary steps as per the existing law and rules to issue birth certificate to all street children of the country.

It also asked to know about the respondents' inaction in not giving birth certificate to all street children of the country.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by a rights organisation named "Sports for Hope and Independence (SHI)".

Women and children affairs secretary, home secretary and office of the Registrar General of the Birth and Death Registration Authorities have been asked to comply with the rule within four weeks.

The court also directed the respondents to submit a report before it within three months describing the necessary steps they have taken to issue birth certificate to all the street children of Bangladesh under the existing law and rules.

Sharmin Farhana, president of SHI, filed the writ petition on June 12 this year as a public interest litigation.

Barrister Tapas Kanti Baul appeared in the hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the state.

Barrister Tapas said, "A team of street children of Bangladesh will participate in the upcoming event of 'Street Child World Cup Doha 2022' scheduled to be held in October this year. But when they applied for passport they had been refused to get it as they could not show any birth registration certificate."

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