Staff Reporter

Children and UNICEF on Wednesday urged the parliamentarians of Bangladesh to safeguard allocations for education, health, and social protection in the national budget.

This call was made during a briefing on "National budget 2023-2024 and child rights" held at the LD Hall of Bangladesh National Parliament on Wednesday.

Thanks to public financing for children over the past decades, Bangladesh has successfully prevented millions of child deaths by reducing malnutrition and protecting children against preventable diseases through immunization. However, maintaining this progress will require increased targeted investments by the government, according to Children and UNICEF representatives.

They pointed out that allocations for education, health, and social protection in the proposed budget for FY2023-24 have proportionally declined compared to the last financial year.

The briefing was organized jointly by UNICEF and the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, with Deputy Speaker Shamsul Hoque Tuku, MP in the chair. Children representatives from different parts of the country, as well as Members of Parliament (MPs) from standing committees on finance, health, and education, among others, participated in the event.

During the briefing, 14-year-old child journalist Maisha Anjum Arifa from Khulna shared, "I have spoken to many children who have to work for three meals a day. Most of them no longer go to school. And many have to continue working day after day despite being ill."

Shamsul Hoque Tuku, the Chair of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, expressed his commitment to championing children's rights and conveyed their voices. He urged his colleagues to do the same.

Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, addressed the parliamentarians, stating, "Bangladesh has made laudable progress in meeting the rights and improving the well-being of children. But there is a risk of sliding backwards if investments in critical social sectors are not maintained."

UNICEF's analysis highlighted that the proposed health sector budget has decreased to 0.76 percent of GDP in this year's budget, down from 0.83 percent last year. They emphasized the need for a significant boost to reach 2 percent for Bangladesh to fulfill its commitment to Universal Health Coverage.

In terms of education, the budget allocation has declined to 1.76 percent of GDP in this year's budget, compared to 1.83 percent last year. However, there has been a positive move towards greater inclusion with an increase in the educational stipend for students with disabilities.

Regarding social protection, UNICEF welcomed the proposal to increase the number of beneficiaries of the Mother and Child Benefit Program but emphasized the importance of adjusting entitlements for inflation to prevent a significant decline in the actual value of the benefits.

In conclusion, UNICEF urged the parliamentarians to prioritize children in the budget, stressing the urgency of the situation. They expressed gratitude to the Government and the Members of the Parliamentary Caucus for Child Rights for their tireless work for children.

Ruling party Whip Mahabub Ara Begum Gini, opposition Whip Principal Rowshan Ara Mannan, Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Caucus for Child Rights Aroma Datta, and Prof. Dr. Habibe Millat, among others, also spoke at the event.