Child rights activists hold a press briefing on the situation of child rights in Bangladesh at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday. — New Age photo

A total of 90 children were raped and 201 murdered in the country in 2012, according to a child rights organisation.
Besides, 49 children committed suicide after facing sexual harassment, 15 were victims of acid attacks and 59 were kidnapped in January-December 2012.
Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum released the statistics at a press briefing on ‘state of child rights in Bangladesh’ at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday.
They said 42 children were severely tortured at their work places, 34 rescued from traffickers while 50 children became victims of corporal punishment at educational institutions in the year, the forum said.
The forum’s consultant, Waled Mahmud, presented a synopsis of his book ‘State of child rights in Bangladesh 2011’ where he said the number of street children is significantly increasing in the country, and the estimated size is around six lakh.
He said around 4,21,000 children work as domestic help and of them 60 per cent were abused.
Waled said more than 13,000 children were trafficked out of the country in the last five years.
In his paper, he also said 20,000 children were exploited in street prostitution during the period.
Forum chairperson Emranul Huq Chowdhury said all forms of violence against children should be resisted by ensuring speedy trials of all cases filed in connection with violence against children and exemplary punishment of the criminals.
Terre des Hommes senior officer Ehsanul Haque and Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum director Shahana Jannat attended the briefing.