Dhaka, Aug 1 (IANS) Bangladesh’s Child Development Centres are grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis, operating at more than double their intended capacity. The crisis has been compounded by prolonged legal hurdles, delayed judicial proceedings and major infrastructure gaps, leaving the facilities struggling to provide a safe environment, a report has stated.
“Severe overcrowding, intense heat, and congested living conditions have left resident children enduring inhumane suffering. Even more concerning, due to loopholes in child laws and complexities surrounding age determination, these juvenile facilities are seeing a growing presence of adults and young adults- a factor that severely jeopardises the safety and psychological development of younger inmates,” according to a report in Pressenza International Press Agency.
A recent research report released by the Law Commission of Bangladesh, titled ‘Children Act, 2013: Doubts, Inconsistencies, and Confusion’, has highlighted these disturbing findings. Citing field inspections by Bangladesh’s Law Commission and recent findings, the report noted that the country’s two main facilities for boys – located in Gazipur and Jessore districts – are housing detainees far beyond their sanctioned capacity.
At Gazipur Child Development Centre, the report said that despite an official capacity of 300 inmates and an infrastructural capacity of just 200, the facility currently accommodates 578 children and young adults.
“Recent reports indicate that the total inmate population has spiked to around 780. Former inmates report that rooms designed to hold a maximum of 10 people are routinely crammed with 15 to 20 children,” it added.
The report found that the Jessore Child Development Centre houses 295 residents against a capacity of 300, while the official ages of 69 inmates are completely unrecorded.
Additionally, the Gazipur Child Development Centre (Girls), Bangladesh’s only facility for females with a capacity of 150, currently houses 92 residents, including 56 children in conflict with or in contact with the law.
“Living in such packed quarters during hot weather poses extreme health risks and forces these children into inhumane conditions, fundamentally undermining the primary objective of social and psychological rehabilitation,” the report noted.
Referring to data from the Law Commission, the report highlighted that at least 70 residents across these centres have already crossed the age of 18 — including 53 at Gazipur Boys, 16 at Jessore Boys and one at Gazipur Girls. It further noted that 91 inmates at the Gazipur Boys facility have no recorded age, while young adults aged 19 to 20 continue to be housed alongside minors.
“Human rights advocates emphasise that alongside expanding physical infrastructure, speeding up judicial trials for minors and establishing dedicated, separate units for detainees over the age of 18 remain crucial steps to resolving the ongoing crisis,” Pressenza mentioned.
–IANS
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