Staff Reporter
Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare Minister Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain yesterday said the government is working towards making Bangladesh free from street children and beggars within the next four years.
He made the remarks while presiding over a seminar titled ‘50 Years in Children’s Dreams: Experiences in Achievements and the Bangladesh of Today’, organized here to mark the Children’s Rights Day 2026 and the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Shishu Academy.
Dr Zahid said different departments under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs are working on development of children.
The ministry also has a dedicated wing for street children, and initiatives have been taken to further strengthen it, he said.
About the rehabilitation and development of street children, the minister said merely ensuring educational opportunities is not enough but attention must also be paid to their mental, social, and cultural development.
Underprivileged children must also be brought within the scope of these opportunities, he said.
He said the government aims to bring all children under the same umbrella through Shishu Academy.
Different departments under his ministry and Bangladesh Shishu Academy are working collaboratively for the development of children, he added.
The minister further added that an environment must be created where no child feels left behind.
Equal importance must be given to the training, education, and development of all children, he said.
Dr Zahid expressed a desire that the term ‘marginalised population’ would never need to be used in the future.
The minister emphasized building a livable Bangladesh for all people, regardless of religion, caste, ethnicity, or whether they hail from hill or plain regions.
Calling for ensuring children safety, the minister said it is crucial to safeguard the environment necessary for shaping children’s futures.
“Incidents such as child abuse and violence are absolutely unacceptable. Merely having laws in place regarding this matter is not enough but people must be socially sensitised and actively involved,” he added.
Dr Zahid said ensuring a safe environment for children is not the sole responsibility of Shishu Academy or the ministry; rather, it is the collective responsibility of people from all walks of life.
He urged all to work together to build a Bangladesh that offers a livable environment for all — from children to the elderly people.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Selima Rahman, National University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. ASM Amanullah, Dhaka University Sociology Professor Salma Akhter, Jatiya Press Club President Hasan Hafiz and Shishu Academy Director General Arju Ara Begum were present at the seminar.
