[mukto-mona] article in The Daily Star

Dear Members,   An article in The Daily Star regarding recent child trafficking in Bangladesh   http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=47863   Thanks for your attention and time   Regards,   Ripan K Biswas NY -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW Tuesday, July 29, 2008 05:13 AM GMT+06:00     Print Friendly Version Point Counterpoint Let the newborn be with her mother Ripan Kumar Biswas MUHAMMAD Sageer Ahmed and Rezia Begum were also excited to welcome their newborn baby. But the baby was stolen from Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) right after her birth. According to the news of a Dhaka-based Bengali daily newspaper on July 25, Rezia Begum gave birth to her first baby in CMCH on July 8. Shortly after the delivery, the baby was stolen. The baby was, however, found by the police after one week, but was not handed over to her parents, as, according to the police, the new born had to go through a DNA test to identify her real parents. Sageer appealed to the court to get back their baby as the newborn was suffering from intense thirst for her mother's milk. The investigation report against the alleged nurse and ayah of CMCH was not strong enough and the court couldn't pass the order in favour of parents. Later, however, the court ordered the police to return the newborn to her parents. But, till date, Sageer's family didn't receive their baby. Child trafficking is the worst form of crime. Although the role of media, human rights organisations, or international agencies is commendable in this respect for bringing to focus the actual existence and perpetration of these crimes, but the incident of stealing newborn babies has become regular at medical hospitals, clinics, or even orphanages these days as the authorities remain indifferent towards ending such happenings. There are three factors involved with the above common incident: child trafficking, keeping newborn away from her mother, and the role of law enforcement agencies. Of course, the above newborn was stolen to be sold and trafficked. Most female babies are sold to brothels and the males are trafficked to other countries for camel jockeying and organ harvesting. According to Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association survey, nearly 25,000 Bangladeshi women and children are illegally trafficked into neighbouring countries and the Middle East every year. Lack of enforcement of proper prosecution, use of children as commodities, powerlessness and vulnerability of women, corruption and bribery at all levels are the main causes behind women and children trafficking. Most of the trafficked women end up in brothels while the children are used in crimes and for cheap labour. Strong syndicates are active behind the incident of stealing newborn babies from hospitals, clinics, or even from homes. Women and children from rural areas are trafficked to urban centers for commercial sexual exploitation and domestic work. To prevent trafficking, both within and out of the country, measures have to be taken for prevention rather than only targeting the criminals of trafficking. Educating people about the issue is a key element of any anti-trafficking program since many people in rural, isolated villages, and urban slums are not aware of the problem and can be misled by traffickers. Government's initiative to provide its over 150 million people with official birth certificates is praiseworthy as birth registration will prevent early marriage, ensure all children are enrolled in school at the right age, protect underage children from working, and ensure special treatment for children in the juvenile justice system. With a birth certificate, a child will be less easily trafficked or exploited. According to Sageer, the newborn's father, the investigative police officer was biased in favor of the alleged nurse and ayah. The government of Bangladesh itself acknowledges serious problems in the enforcement of laws against trafficking, including the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act (2000) that prescribes harsh penalties for traffickers. However, this law is frequently not implemented and fails to safeguard the rights of people who have been trafficked. In addition, the implementation of the laws is weak, in part because members of law enforcement agencies are often involved in trafficking activities, and that the laws are sometimes misapplied with the result that victims are charged with immoral behaviour. However, we acknowledge the effort they put to recover the newborn baby, who might be sold or trafficked. We feel ashamed to observe the administration of a hospital, as well as its authority, lacks concern and knowledge regarding security requirements. We expect that the law enforcement authorities and the judiciary will be better sensitised so that a newborn doesn't need to live away from her mother. Ripan Kumar Biswas is a freelance writer based in New York.

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http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

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http://www.mukto-mona.com/news/daily_star/daily_star_MM.pdf

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MM site is blocked in Islamic countries such as UAE. Members of those theocratic states, kindly use any proxy (such as http://proxy.org/) to access mukto-mona.

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