On 16 February 2017, National Human Rights Commission thematic committee on Child Rights, Child Labor and Anti Trafficking and Migration organized meeting at the conference room of the Commission. Kazi Reazul Hoque, Chairman of NHRCB and Chair of the Committee presided over the meeting. Nurun Naher Osmani and Enamul Hoque Chowdhury, Members of the Commission were present at the meeting. Representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, ILO, IOM, Unicef, UNDP, Save the Children, Ain o Salish Kendra, World Vision, UDDIPAN, Nijera Kori, BLAST attended the meeting.

Kazi Reazul Hoque expressed satisfaction that the draft Child Rights Commission Act was under review of Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. The Ministry was also considering establishing Child Directorate.  He expressed his concern that juveniles who were staying in juvenile correction center were not produced before court in due time. Moreover, children often were afraid of going to court. Our hon’ble Chief Justice was also concerned about this. We could resolve this problem through Video Conference. He also informed the members of the Committee that NHRCB was going to be linked with the regional offices through video conference system so that from head office NHRC could dispose of the complaints of people from outside Dhaka. All stakeholders particularly government actors should act to address the concern raised by the Human Rights Council during 2^nd cycle of UPR and concluding observation of UNCRC committee, he added.

Mr. Khondaker Mostan Hossain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment informed that the ministry filed case on 95 cases of child labour. He said, “as government of Bangladesh was committed to fulfill SDGs, we believe that we could eliminate all sorts of Child labour by 2030.” The ministry was going to start a study to identity the reasons of child labour and work for eliminating all sorts of child labour, he informed. Laila Karim from Save the Children proposed to rename the Committee as “Committee on Child Rights of National Human Rights Commission”.

In the meeting following decisions were taken:

• To form a roadmap involving all the representatives from INGOs and NGOs who work on child rights for coordinated efforts to compile all the studies conducted on how much resources we have to eliminate drop-out of poor children from schools. We need to give subsidy to them so that their parents do not force them to do work and they can continue their education.
• To form a core group to combat child trafficking including WINROCK, IOM, World Vision, Save the Children, etc as well as the relevant state actors.
• To form a core group on corporal punishment including Ministry of Religious Affairs, BLAST, Ain o Salish Kendra, UDDIPAN, Unicef, Save the Children, CSID, Nagorik Uddyog, World Vision.
• To form a core group to monitor the human rights issues in line with the SDGs.
• NHRC will pursue to enact Child Rights Commission Act in the next stakeholder meeting.
• NHRC will write to the concerned ministry to send report about the update on forming Child Directorate.