Ensure children's safety

Children's safety has become one of the most urgent concerns in Bangladesh. Yet, despite growing public awareness and repeated promises of action, reports of child abuse, sexual violence and murder continue to dominate newspaper headlines. No child should have to grow up in fear, but for many families, fear has become a daily reality.
This is not only a crisis for girls. Boys, too, are victims of sexual abuse, violence, and exploitation. However, while female survivors are increasingly finding the courage to speak out, boys often remain silent because of social stigma. A boy who reveals childhood abuse is frequently mocked instead of supported. Patriarchal attitudes that teach men never to cry or show vulnerability harm both women and men, preventing many survivors from seeking justice or healing.
The consequences are devastating. Childhood trauma leaves lifelong emotional and psychological scars, affecting not only individuals but also the future of the nation. Parents now hesitate to let their children play outside alone. Even more disturbing is the fact that many children are abused not by strangers, but by relatives, neighbours, or other trusted adults. When a home no longer feels safe, childhood itself becomes a prison.
Monitoring reports by organisations such as Ain o Salish Kendra and the Human Rights Support Society continue to document alarming numbers of violent deaths, abuse, and sexual assaults against children. These incidents demand urgent action, not only from the government but also from society as a whole.
Protecting children requires strict enforcement of the law, swift justice for offenders, better child protection mechanisms and greater public awareness. Parents, teachers, communities, and institutions all have a shared responsibility to create a safe environment where every child can grow, learn and dream without fear. A nation that cannot protect its children cannot hope to build a secure future.

Sejuti Mumu
Student
Begum Rokeya University
Rangpur