e-News® | The NEWS Company…DHAKA, Nov 26, 2014 – Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, MP, yesterday called upon Bangladesh Betar to play an adequate role in educating adolescents in the spirit of the Liberation War to free the country of terror, militancy and cultural distortion.
The information minister appealed to adolescents to participate in nation building through the radio listeners’ club. The minister emphasized the rights of adolescents to know about the “facts-of-life” and equip them with adequate social safety techniques for development. He said this while inaugurating the “adolescent radio listeners’ club” program, where he was chief guest.
Additional secretary of the information ministry, S M Haroon-ur-Rashid and chief of UNICEF-Bangladesh’s communication for development wing Nance Weber were present as special guests. The meeting was chaired by director-general of Bangladesh Betar, Kazi Akhter Uddin Ahmed.
The information minister said the Great Liberation War of 1971 must be projected properly by FM and community radio. Adolescents must be made conscious of it. He said that if the radio limited itself to broadcasting news and plays then they will not be able to satisfy the demands of the nation. He said “Risky child labor, drug problem and eve teasing must be addressed by the electronic media”. He appealed to the electronic media to develop more programs to conscientize the nation.
The minister said that like the slogan “Rascal Razakars, the same should be said about eve teasers, Rascal Eve-teasers. Only then will eve-teasing come down.” The minister emphasized the need for proper reproductive education of children. “The taboo about not discussing reproductive issues with children need to be abandoned. Parents need to be friends with their children,” he said.
Nance Weber said that the number of people in Bangladesh in the age-group of 10-19 is 2 crore 90 lakhs. Very few of them know about the facts of life or have the necessary social skills for survival. Of the girls 30 per cent get married by the time they are in the age group of 15-19. Of the 20-year olds 57 per cent women get service from trained doctors and nurses. She said that 32 lakh children between the ages of 5-17 are involved in child labor. Of them 90 per cent are involved in risky and informal work.
She also said although the Bangladesh government has banned corporeal punishment, 91 per cent school-going children are physically abused. In this context, Weber felt that the radio listeners’ club could intervene, benevolently. She said that currently the clubs would be set up in 15 districts, 51 upazilas and 223 unions. Later, it would be extended to other districts.