Staff Correspondent

Stressing on the safe internet for children, experts at a meeting called for making combined efforts of all concerned for protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse in online platform.

As the scope of online activities increases day by day at the moment, children especially girl children are falling victims to problems like blackmail and cyber bullying, putting their lives at risk, they said.

They remarked these while addressing the regional sharing meeting titled ‘The Role of Youth to Protect Children from Online and Offline Sexual Abuse of Children’ at CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on Wednesday .

INCIDIN Bangladesh and Terre des Hommes (TdH) Netherlands jointly organized the event.
While presiding over the meeting, AKM Masud Ali, Executive Director of INCIDIN Bangladesh, called for changing the pattern of family culture with more active monitoring role of parents over their children, and enacting stringent laws. He also underscored ensuring social supports to the victims and raising awareness among people, including the children, for tackling the problem.

Advocate Salma Ali, President of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, opined for breaking the cycle of violence against children in the interest of building a children friendly society.

Mentioning that we cannot build a better future by keeping children in trouble, Mahmudul Kabir, Country Director of TdH, called upon all concerned to work together for protecting our future generation.

Tania Khan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and DG of Bangladesh Shishu Academy, in her address as the chief guest, emphasized on putting united efforts of the government and NGOs in addressing the issue.
M. Rabiul Islam, Deputy Director of National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh; Thangaperumal Ponpandi, Country Director, India & Nepal (Online); Dr. Rinchen Chophel, Director General, SAIEVAC (Online); Md. Rafiqual Islam Khan, Manager, policy and legal affairs of INCIDIN, among others, also spoke.
A number of child and youth representatives from Jessore, Bagerhat and Dhaka also participated.
The event was told that 63% girl children and 33% boy children fall victim to sexual assault in Bangladesh. Children face sexual harassment from known persons, neighbours and close relatives.

At the moment, mobile phone and the use of Information Technology has become an inseparable part of life of children. Many children are being victims of sexual assault and exploitation due to lack of awareness.
Children cannot properly understand the risks associated with exchanging personal information. Out of curiosity and being influenced by friends, they enter dangerous websites and are trapped to the risks of sexual assault and exploitation as a result of exchanging personal information. By utilizing such information, criminals easily get the scope of controlling children and made them victims.