A deep concern over the current crisis in child rights and protection in Bangladesh was expressed at a discussion titled “Presentation of the Child Rights Situation”, held in Khulna. The event, which took place on 28 October, was jointly organized by Lal Sabuj Society and Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).
The program was held at the conference hall of the Khulna District Commissioner’s office. Bitan Kumar Mondal, Additional District Commissioner of Khulna, attended as the chief guest. In his speech, he emphasized that children’s safety is not a matter of charity but a fundamental right, stating,
“Childhood without protection reflects societal failure. Change is only possible through the coordinated efforts of the state, family and society.”

At the discussion, Ahsan Sakib, representative of Lal Sabuj Society, presented a brief overview of the child rights situation. He stated that an analysis of 1,289 child-related news reports published in 12 national daily newspapers from January to August 2025 revealed that 1,069 reports were negative, while only 220 were positive. The report identified health disparities, abuse, child rape and murder and deaths from accidents as the major threats to child protection. The highest number of incidents were reported in the Dhaka Division, indicating disparities in child protection between urban and rural areas.

Ahsan Sakib further noted, “Child abuse and accidents are currently the greatest threats. Structural weaknesses in health and education persist. While media awareness has improved somewhat, preventive initiatives are still inadequate.”

The report also highlighted gaps in state accountability and law enforcement.
Akib Uddin, Deputy Director of District Family Planning, emphasized the importance of strengthening the relationship between family planning services and the health sector to ensure children’s well-being and protection.

Other special guests at the event included Ayub Hossain, Deputy Director of District Statistics, Swapan Kumar Guha, Executive Director of Rupantor (NGO) and Saki Rezwana, Project Officer of Rupantor.