Both political parties and alliances are very vote focused in their manifesto which is power. And that is why all attention is being paid to the adult voters. Not surprisingly, after years of advocacy, it's obvious that political parties are not very moved by the state of what has been promised and kept as far as children are concerned.

Although , Bangladesh has been "chided" at the UN Child Right Committee for the last five years for failing to finish the agenda promised, political parties that is current and future governments have not recognized children as priorities as per their electoral declarations. While Bangladesh has been quick to sign the dotted lines on many international protocols, they have been less active in keeping the commitments made on the same page.

Bangladesh has certainly made progress but the progress has always been measured in aggregate data and doesn't show how it affects two very vulnerable groups, women and children. While it's true that parties have made promises on improving the life of adult women, fact remains, one of the most at bay group are adolescent girls who suffer from some of the most difficult lives in Bangladesh compared to what has been possible to achieve. And Bangladesh is failing them.

Some major concerns

Some major issues have been pointed out by many agencies which fail to make any media noise. Malnutrition, early marriage and access to rights to education are safety are key issues that has been lost in the electoral noise.

Malnutrition does affect the population in general but children and young women suffer massively from this. On top of that, the action plans that have been put in place are not very effective and the problem persists. This problem has been increased by the other problem of early marriage that has made life a threat for majority of young children and young adults.

Bangladesh's powerful bureaucracy are however not as effective when it comes to project management for children. It's not that plans and projects are not on but that they are below par performers and the initiatives show much less than required effect needed to change the scenario.

But political pressures have also operated and the recent passing of the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2018 is a good example where the GOB has flip-flopped in a way that has dented its image badly. It has agreed to 18 years as the age of marriage but then also allowed special circumstances in which girl children can be married off at sixteen /seventeen years.

However, the GOB had also promised to act on the issue and did set up prevention of child marriage committees at various levels but again reports show that they are largely ineffective. More than anything else it's a sign of lack of serious intent.

Education, Poverty and violence

Education is increasingly becoming an area of concern as quality falls due to lack of many factors including qualified teachers, shortage of school supplies and facilities. A major school issue which straddle society is that of physical punishment, now almost all pervasive. This actually drives many kids away from studies and schools are seen as hostile spaces for children. Although some orders exist to discourage this but nobody follows them.

Poverty continues to be all encompassing issue and various reports suggest that it encourages parent to stop funding many children's education though it's free. However, a much bigger problem seems to be insecurity and violence which has become a norm in society that drives the factors that are influencing state policies.

Reports are saying that parents fear for the safety of the their children to such an extent that they are marrying off their girl children as early as possible. Many are not going to school fearing lack of safety. Thus increasing number of children are staying at home. In the urban zones, many are turning to the internet as an alternate source of information and entertainment creating a world of many isolated ones.

The loss of community and rise of impunity

The loss is therefore of the community as sustainer of society as fewer and fewer chances of inter-mixing and socialization exists. People are being forced into their small and what they consider safe places. In such an environment, children growing up have no common bonds. In other words, society itself is declining.

What is also obvious is that the ruling class with its political net covering all parts of society exclude themselves from the rest. They not only enjoy impunity but also non-accountability. Thus there are no pressure from any social groups asking what they can and did for children, let alone why they failed to deliver not to mention why it was promised in the first place.

This is not too difficult to answer because there are no champions and no voice for children. While people are screaming till blue in the face about political issues and problems, the status of children doesn't have a political face.

Adult women can vote so both parties have taken cognizance of them and are making appeals with their policies. But that is not the case with children. They have been ignored.

The elderly and the very young have become prisoners in the hands of a political system which cares much less for the vulnerable because they don't form part of the power equation. When politicians think this way, their promises are loud but not kept much, whether to adults or to children if at all.