Nine children killed during blockade

At least nine children were killed in political violence during the ongoing blockade called by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on January 5.

Eight out of the nine children were killed in deadly firebomb attacks on a buses and trucks.

children protest
A kid along with his parents joins a protest in front of National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday against burning kids, calling for an end to politics of violence and resolving crisis through discussion. — Ali Hossain Mintu

Rights organisations Ain o Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum and Manusher Jonno Foundation said that children were often falling victim of political violence which left at least 12 to 44 children killed in 2013 and 2014.

Besides, 15 children were injured in January, 47 in 2014 and 103 in 2013 in political violence, including attacks on demonstrations and pickets, clashes, arson attacks and crude bomb blasts, according to the rights organisation.

In the latest incident, 10 year old Sujon succumbed to burn injury he sustained in firebomb attack on a bus on Gaibandha-Dhaka highway in Tulsighat area in Gibandha at about 11:00pm on Friday. He died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital on Saturday.

The Tulshighat firebomb attack killed another 10 year old girl Shilpi Rani on the spot.

Sixteen-year-old school girl Maisha Nayma Tasnin, a student of Class X, was burnt to death with her father Nuruzzman Paplu when an Icon Paribahan bus came under arson attack on Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Jagamohanpur of Chouddagram upazila on early February 3, killing at least eight people.

Arson victim 11-year boy, registered as Zakir at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital burn unit, died at the hospital on January 23. He was brought to the hospital from Gono Shahstya Kendra on the previous night with severe burn injury he had sustained in an arson attack at Savar, said burn unit resident surgeon Partha Sankar Pal.

While, 17-year-old Sohag Biswas, a truck driver’s assistant, was burnt alive being trapped in a truck after miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at the vehicle at Wazirpur in Barisal on early January 18.

Radhakantapur High School class IX student Rajan Ali on January 17 succumbed to injuries he sustained on January 15, when pickets attacked his father who was a local Awami League leader in Chapainawabganj.

Bus worker Tafazzal was burnt alive when miscreants set on fire a bus he was sleeping inside in Gazipur on early January 15.

In the early hours of January 14, Rahim Badsha, 12, Jesmin Akhter, 18, died as miscreants hurled petrol bomb at a bus carrying them at Mithapukur in Rangpur.

On January 5, on the first day of ongoing BNP-led alliance-sponsored blockade, two Secondary School Certificate examinees of Feni Pilot High School — Minhazul Islam and Shahriar — were injured in a crude bomb blast in Feni while they were returning home from a coaching centre. Minhazul’s mother Rozi Roshana said her son had his left eye badly damaged being hit by splinters. ‘We do not have links with any political party, why should we suffer for political unrest?’

Three children were killed in political violence in 2014, while the figure was 41 in 2013, said Manusher Jonno Foundation programme coordinator Abdulla Al Mamun.

Ain o Salish Kendra child rights unit senior deputy director Gita Chakrabarty said that 34 children were killed in 2013. She said that they had no statistics of 2014.

Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum director Abdus Shahid Mahmood said that 11 children died and 38 injured in 2013 and one children was killed in 2014.

All the rights activists said that they scanned several national newspapers children to portray the situation.

Dhaka University clinical psychology teacher SM Abul Kalam Azad said that children ‘trapped in violence’ could suffer from acute fear, sustain trauma for long and post-traumatic stress disorders if they were not treated properly.

The women and children affairs secretary, Tariq-ul-Islam, said, ‘We have already sent a demi-official letter to all deputy commissioners and superintendent of police to take necessary step to stop using of children in political programmes.’

He said that the use of children is a clear violation of child rights. Article 6.7.4 of the National Children Policy 2011 says that children would not be used, lured or forced to be involved in political activities.

The inspector general of police, AKM Shahidul Hoque, said innocent people including children were becoming victims of subversive activities and the police were listing suspects in subversive activities. Special drives are going on to hunt down the perpetrators, he added.

-Mohiuddin Alamgir, New Age


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