When labourers and low-income people are getting relief from government and other sources, the street children are not getting any attention, the NGO said.
Jamil H Chowdhury, Executive Director of ASD, in a statement on Wednesday expressed concern that street children are more vulnerable than the general public during the coronavirus outbreak.
The children are at higher risk of getting infected and spreading the virus among their peers and general public as the number of confirmed cases rises, the statement said.
It is important to keep these children in a safe place to protect them from coronavirus, he added.
“Visible and effective action should be taken to protect street children immediately. ASD calls upon the government to implement a long-term plan in coordination with NGOs in this regard,” Jamil Chowdhury said.
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ASD has been implementing a project since 2012 titled ‘Development of Children at High Risk (DCHR)’ with the objectives of ensuring the development and protection of vulnerable street children, working children and slum children and promoting child rights in the country.
Through this project, ASD runs shelter homes, learning and recreation centres and pre-schools in different slums of Dhaka city.
Also read: Spiraling Coronavirus: Bangladesh reports 1,162 new cases, 19 deaths