Halima Akter, The Orient News Bangladesh

Now, the most sensitive issue is the street child. The cope with the modern world this problem is increasing day by day in the developing, less developed, and underdeveloped countries such as Asia, Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe. Reducing this problem there are governmental and Non-governmental programs in every country's policy. But the implemented policies are questionable how is effective for the improvement of the living standards of the street children when this problem has remained ongoing.

The street children who live on the road (slums, fallow land, bus stands, railway stations, parks, opens space, etc.) and the source of their livelihood is also the street. The street children have no life security. According to the information of the UNICEF, the three categories of the street children such as candidates for the street (the street child who work and hang out on the streets), children on the streets (children who work on the street but have a home to go to at night), and children on the streets (children who live on the street without family).

In the context of Bangladesh, there is no exact estimate of the street children. It is supposed that there are about 600,000 street children living in Bangladesh and nearly 75% of them live in the capital Dhaka. But the real figure is increasing gradually and it may be more than supposition.

The reasons behind being the street child vary from country to country. The root of the problem in Bangladesh is especially the breakdown of the poverty-stricken families, including displacement due to natural disaster, parental death, parental neglect, violence in the home or community and child abuse, etc.

The life of the street children is miserable. They don't get food to eat and shelter to sleep. They collect things from unhygienic dumps and sell these. Some of them beg under the syndicators where they are tortured. The girls of them are the most vulnerable. They are sexually abused and physically tortured by people. Most of them are forced to be floating sex-worker. The street children are the victim of human trafficking largely. The majority of them are sexually abused by the pedophile.

They are deprived of human basic needs due to their poverty. They have no proper education facilities. They don't get due treatment. They don't think morally something for lack of education. As a result, criminal gangs misuse them in various illegal trade including drugs, child pornography, etc. They engage in such types of crime only at a nominal price to survive themselves.

Regretfully, the street children also lead a more helpless life during the outbreak of pandemics like the ongoing COVID-19. At that time they have no work and no food. The help of the government and others do not cover all.

Some Bangladesh government agencies, local and international non-governmental organizations have taken initiatives as to address the issues of street children which was much needed. There are some governmental shelter houses and rehabilitation centers which contain some street children but not all can be accommodated. The UNICEF has assisted by providing some basic needs for them and the UNCIDIN Bangladesh has been working for the improvement of the street children who are sexually abused. Other NGOs are Bangladesh Street Children Foundation, The Street Children Activist Network, Children Ferdous, Jago Foundation, Bangladesh Street Children's Organization, and large school supports the street children by providing food, education, and managing recreation facilities for them. But at end of the day, they have to go back from where they belong. Hence, there are not much initiatives which can be done for their complete rehabilitation.

The illustration of the Bangladeshi street children's sorrowful life reflects the entire street children across the world. The silent lament of the innocent street children is heartbreaking and their struggle for alive is beyond expression. Their ever-present starvation due to the scarcity of food can arouse sympathy to them if anyone notices it cordially.

It has to be kept in mind that today's children are tomorrow's future and today's children are tomorrow's nation. The street children are part of the nation. Without the development of their condition, any nation cannot think of their whole prosperity. So, the government should pay special attention to them. Also, the mass people should come forward in this regard individually for the betterment of their life.