Meher Afroz Chumki, State Minister of Women and Children Affairs on Wednesday told the Daily Observer that the government has ordered every police station to take immediate steps whenever a case of child repression takes place.
The decision has been taken due to increase in the number of child repression incidents across the country.
"We are experiencing the barbaric killing and torture on children which we had not seen before. We have to stop this menace by any means. The law enforcing agencies must take the lead to bring a successful result," she said against the backdrop of an inter-ministerial meeting of the government officials from different ministries held on Wednesday presided over by Nasima Begum, NDC, Secretary and Secretary of MoWCA.
Mentioning the recent punishment of the perpetrators of Rajon in Sylhet and Rakib in Khulna cases Chumki said that government is very much child-friendly and committed to ensure child protection.
"None of the criminals will be spared if they commit crimes against any child," she said.
If any member of law enforcing agencies is found to engage in harassing unnecessarily the victim family, government will take action against them, the meeting suggested.
Few more decisions that were taken at the meeting included district commissioner and upazila nirbahi officers will have to conduct awareness building campaign on prevention of child and women repression every month and present report to law and order committee meeting.
Women officials of Upazila Parishad, representative of every area, official of NGO, community police, village women police will have to update to MoWCA about the progress on various activities relating to repression and violence against women and children.
Government has to adopt a framework for successfully implementing the existing laws to prevent child labour.
Moreover, formation of a monitoring committee to review child repression affairs under the leadership of MoWCA's secretary, religious leaders will discuss family harmony, social values and ways to prevent family repression every Friday before Jumma prayers, holding of regular contacts with the electronic and print media to prevent child repression and killings, discussions on awareness building for students in schools and colleges and finally ensuring punishment for the child killers were the main points of discussion at the meeting.
Referring to the recent killings of Rajon and Rakib and shooting of Saurav, Nasima Begum, NDC, Secretary, MoWCA, said the number of incidents of violence against children has increased since last few years.
According to police report, about 10,764 cases relating to violence against children and women have been recorded during the first six months of last year.
Another finding of Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum reveals that about 777 children were killed after torture during the last three years. The finding discloses that about 191 children were killed in the first month of last year, and at the same time about 11 children survived attempts to murder. The number of children killed was 350 in 2014, it was 218 in 2013 while the number was 209 in 2012. Cases of torture and killing of children have increased alarmingly in addition to high number of pending cases in courts.
Asked, Dr Maleka Banu, General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, about the reasons for changing pattern of torture on children, said the pervert desire of showing powers motivates a person to commit such barbaric crimes on children.
"Incident of child torture has increased because of culture of impunity, lack of implementation of law and accountability which are the main reasons behind killing and torture of children" she said.
If the respective law enforcing agencies play their role and ensure exemplary punishment for the culprits, only then prevention against child killing or violence against women is possible, she said.