| The
image of a starving child with a begging bowl,
an image of passivity, has too often been used
to portray Bangladeshi children. This straitjacketed
portrayal has simplified and thereby distorted
reality. Children here work for a living, they
feed their families Those on their own develop
comradeship, they fend for one another. Children
play, stare curiously at cameras, participate
in public protests. A privileged few get to
hold a grownup’s caring hand. The needs articulated
in The Convention of the Rights of the Child
is generally accepted and has been ratified
by most nations including Bangladesh, but the
official acceptance has made little difference
to the everyday lives of millions of children. |
