M Sayem Ahmad: Today`s children are the future of tomorrow. They will run this country when they grow up. Famous people today were once children. Gradually they also grew up and today they have become famous all over the world. Just as children are the builders of this country, so is a neglected group. They are the weakest part or group of society, whether necessary or unnecessarily, they are being tortured in one way or another.

Through them, influential people are getting involved in various criminal activities for the purpose of making profit. They cannot express the language of protest as they belong to the weaker group of this society. We can`t build any resistance. Because they do not have that power. They are a dumb, neglected group. Hundreds of tortures have to be endured in silence. The children of our country are subjected to many known and unknown abuses.

Child abuse is defined as any form of physical or emotional abuse, neglect, abuse, detention, sexual harassment, starvation of a child and not being educated. Have we ever wondered? Are we constantly abusing children ourselves? Many times we treat children inhumanely. I speak loudly. The child is emotionally traumatized, which makes him mentally ill.

In order to strictly suppress the crime of violence against women and children in our country, the government enacted the law to suppress the violence against women and children. Even after the enactment of the law in 2000, the incidence of violence against women and children remained high. Then the law was amended again in 2013. The law deals with trafficking in women, child trafficking, rape, death by rape, sexual abuse and abuse of women and children. The law also stipulates that the maximum penalty for a crime if convicted is life imprisonment. There is also a provision of fine as punishment. Why are women and children being tortured even today as a result of having such strict laws in our country? Whose responsibility is this? The state or the people? The question remains.

Child abuse is happening all the time in our country, which is published in various journals. But most of the incidents remain hidden. In our country even today children are being tortured in educational institutions. Recently, there was an incident of child abuse in a madrasa in Chittagong`s Hathazari upazila, which spread through social media. Video footage shows the teacher brutally whipping the child. The child loses consciousness. Such atrocities are really sad. It is not just that educational institutions are being tortured.

According to a report conducted by the NGO Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a survey was conducted on 18 children in Dhaka and Satkhira. It is seen that more than 36 percent of children in our country are being sexually abused online. More than 26 percent are being victimized by acquaintances and relatives. Really ashamed to see such activities in our society. Many scholars have said different things about children. Nelson Mandela expressed his thoughts on children,

"The face of society is reflected in how society treats children." From his thoughts it is understood what our society is like. How humane we are towards children.

Above all, we must remind every child that they are the future leaders of the country. Through them, our country will move forward in tandem with globalization. And those involved in child abuse must be brought under the law and severely punished. All the people of the society irrespective of profession, social status, dignity need to have a more positive attitude towards every child. Let them develop into an orderly society. Every citizen of the country has to work for the protection of children`s rights from their respective positions.

Author: M Sayem Ahmad is a Columnist and cultural activist. He is also the President of Bangladesh Torun Column Lekhok Forum, Dhaka College Unit.