Bangladesh Belongs to Its Children

Bangladesh belongs to its children  Alamgir Khan THE first line of the introduction to the National Children Policy 2011 is, 'Children constitute the foundation of a nation.' Do the policy maers understand the full import of this statement! The last line of this part states that the conte"tual importance of this policy has to #e taen into due consideration in main$ all national de%elopment policies, plannin$, pro$ramme implementation and #ud$etin$. The concludin$ line should ha%e rather carried the messa$e that interests of children must #e put at the forefront in main$ policies, plannin$, implementation and #ud$etin$.  &illiam &ordsorth had e"claimed( 'The Child is father of the )an.' The authors of this children's policy #e$an ith nearly hat the poet said more than to hundred years a$o. Then th ey drifted aay, lie policy maers cannot #ut do. The full import of that statement can #e that children are father of a nation. *eally, to hom ill +an$ladesh #elon$ in 201! Not the present political leadership- today's children or adolescents ill #e at the helm of the nation then. +ut those political leaders ho ill sur%i%e till then  ill ha%e today's children as them( &hat did you do for us!/ President #ama, in his tate of the nion address, ima$ined( 3nd hen our children's children loo us in the eye and as if e did all e could 4./ 5or children of the ealthy in +an$ladesh, ho ha%e the shinin$ prospect of emi$ration, there ill #e the orried estern leaders to anser their 6uestion. +ut children of the poor and orin$ people of this country ill #e here demandin$ an anser from you, i f, hoe%er, you at all care a#out this. Ha%e you done anythin$ to mae sure that 'our success should depend not on accident of #irth,' and ill you #e a#le to #oast then lie #ama today that the dau$hter of a factory orer is CE of the lar$est automaer, the son of a #areeper is peaer of the House, and the son of a distressed mom the president! 7t depends only on hat e are doin$ for today's children irrespecti%e of their family #ac$round, the accident of #irth. &hat 'ladders of opportunity' are e #uildin$ for them! 87Ps can at least line the roadsides to sa lute our children hile they $o to school.

The writer is Research and Publication Officer, Centre for Development Innovation and Practices.