Sir Frank Peters

The children of Tajikistan have every reason to throw their schoolbooks into the air, hop, skip, dance, smile, and scream with joy in celebration.

While Bangladesh shamefully continues to drag its heels, pour valueless platitudes upon its children, but actually do nothing in giving them the protection they need, Tajikistan has just become the 67th country to ban corporal punishment.

Now Tajikistan’s four million children are protected from any form of violent ‘discipline’ in all settings – homes, schools, care centres, madrasahs – wherever children are to be found.

The government of Tajikistan sent a crystal clear message to teachers, imams, and parents that corporal punishment is no longer tolerated and there will be consequences to pay if it continues. The new law confirms the children are human – as human as any adult – and they ought to be shown the same dignity and respect as adults and it empowers them to seek protection from violence, regardless of their age.

“These new policy changes represent a remarkable advancement in child protection in Tajikistan and demonstrate the government's strong commitment to respecting the dignity and physical integrity of children. The legislative changes are a major step forward, but much work remains to ensure that these measures lead to positive change in every child's life”, said Arthur van Diesen, UNICEF representative for Tajikistan.

Violence against children is global and widespread, around 330 million children are tortured and punished by physical means and Bangladesh is no exception. In many instances Bangladesh is even worse than many.

On one hand you have alleged protectors Prime Ministers, MPs, and such like telling us that children are the nation’s most valuable assets – more prized than minerals, coal, gas, or oil could ever be – and unquestionably the definitive future of Bangladesh, but that’s it. How hypocritical can one get?

Corporal punishment causes significant damage to children's health, development and wellbeing. It can impair brain and nervous system development, laying the groundwork for long-term difficulties with behaviour, emotion regulation, and mental health. It’s even been known to trigger cancer.

A country that contributes and doesn’t even attempt to prevent illness to its people – especially its greatest assets – is a sad and mighty sick country.

On January 13, 2011, High Court Divisional bench comprising of Justice Md. Imman Ali and Justice Md. Sheikh Hassan Arif set the mood for corporal punishment to be outlawed by legislation in schools, homes, and madrasahs throughout Bangladesh declaring it to be:

“Cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and a clear violation of a child’s fundamental right to life, liberty and freedom”.

Some success was achieved among the highly educated principals and teachers in cities and major towns, and there’s been no corporal punishment since in these settings, but in villages where the majority of children are located, it was business as usual and the cruelty and suffering to children continues among the ignorant ‘teachers’ and Imams.

Sadly, the system being as it is, with educated and properly trained schoolteachers in short supply one can’t expect too much. One thing’s for certain, if the education is not overhauled and necessary changes made, there will never be any change to the current pitiful situation. Not only will children suffer, but so will the wellbeing of the entire nation. Education is the thread that holds the tapestry of a nation together.

Violence should never be taught in school, whether in the classroom or playground.

Long-term, violence against children is linked to a range of severe and enduring consequences, including increased risks of mental health disorders, chronic physical health issues, impaired cognitive and emotional development, and diminished academic achievements.

The global economic costs resulting from violence against children are as high as $7 trillion per year – roughly 8 per cent of global GDP.

Legislation alone will not protect children. However, legal bans have been shown to be a critical first step in ending corporal punishment. They raise awareness of its negative impact and send a clear message that hurting children, for any reason, is never acceptable.

In other countries that have banned physical punishment, such as Romania, Kenya, Japan and Germany, the use of corporal punishment declined after bans were passed, often dramatically.

Unlike Bangladesh, since its independence, Tajikistan has been dedicated to strengthening the situation of children within the country.

Somewhat hypocritically Bangladesh became a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – second in the region to do so ­– on 26 January 1990 and ratified it on 3 August 1990.

In addition, while ratifying the CRC, the Government of Bangladesh placed a reservation to articles 14(1) and 21 of the CRC which concern the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as system of adoption respectively.

How cool, noble, and proper was that telling the world Bangladesh children are particularly special, but where is the change 24 years later? If corruption in government took so long, there just wouldn’t be any corruption!

All signatories of the CRC declared their commitment to ending abuse, exploitation, torture, and all forms of violence against children. UNICEF and the world are still waiting for Bangladesh to act.

Bangladesh owes an enormous debt to Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, and their thousands of esteemed colleagues of the Anti Discrimination Movement who will never be publicly identified or given due and just reward. Their only consolation is knowing, deep in their hearts, that they participated in the historic event as the new breed of freedom fighters and brought about change.

As each and every grain of sand is of equal and vital importance in the construction of a beach; so, too, are the students in the construction of the NEW Bangladesh. Perhaps there ought to be a new Bangladesh flag design to herald this change

There’s been no greater time in the history of Bangladesh to sweep clean all the mistakes of the past and get it right for a glorious future. No doubt those who died in 1971 and 2024 would wish that. (Inna lillahe Wa inna Elahe Razeon.)

The writer is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, a humanitarian, human rights activist, Honorary Member of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters, and a foreign friend of Bangladesh.