Judicial officials and legal practitioners at a discussion unanimously opined that substantial and sustainable reduction of physical and mental punishment against children can be a vital means of nourishing their physical and mental development properly.

Terming the children as an important wealth of the nation they viewed that the society and the national as well should take the responsibility of building them as worthy citizens through freeing them from all sorts of punishments, repressions and cruelties in institutions and houses.

They came up with the observation while addressing the opening ceremony of a daylong divisional workshop titled “Reduction of Physical and Mental Punishment against Children and Legal Protection and Way Forward” at Nanking Darbar Hall in Rajshahi city.

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) organised the workshop in association with Save the Children with the main thrust of sensitizing all concerned including teachers, guardians and other stakeholders to end such institutional punishment as it’s a deadly crime, a social menace and a costly public health problem.

Senior District and Session Judge Meer Shafiqul Alam addressed the meeting as chief guest while BLAST local unit President Advocate Suniormal Shaha was in the chair.

Metropolitan Session Judge Iliash Hossain, Judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Monsur Alam, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mehedi Hassan Talukder, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Nurul Alam Muhammad Nipu and BLAST Adviser Rezaul Karim also spoke on the occasion.

In his keynote presentation, Amirul Haque, an advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court, gave an overview of the issue. BLAST legal practitioner Advocate Tazul Islam and its local unit coordinator Advocate Samina Begum moderated the discussion.

Judge Shafiqul Alam said the teachers and others concerned should discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and honesty so that physical and mental development of the school children are ensured properly.

Terming the present children as future leaders of the country he mentioned that the school children must be protected from all sorts of physical and mental punishments at educational institutions for the sake of their proper development.

He added that a collective effort is needed to free educational institutions and all other corporate from any physical and mental punishment against students.

The children should not be given physical and mental punishment at any means.

The High Court has clear-cut directions in this regard. Proper and effective enforcement of the directives given by the most respectable High Court has become an urgent need to end the unethical institutional and corporal punishment.

The ministry of education has issued circular banning physical and mental punishment against children in the educational institutions. Above all, the Prime Minister has also a strong instruction against the physical and mental punishment against children, the senior judge added.