Business leaders and child rights advocates have called for greater corporate involvement in protecting vulnerable children, arguing that corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding could help bridge critical gaps in education, healthcare, shelter and legal protection for street-connected children.
The appeal came at a consultation on CSR and Child Sponsorship, organised by INCIDIN Bangladesh in Dhaka on Tuesday, where representatives from about 20 local and international companies discussed long-term partnerships to support child protection programmes.
INCIDIN said street-connected children, particularly survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, face some of the most severe forms of abuse, including violence, forced labour, substance abuse and exploitation by organised criminal networks.
Citing its own scoping study, the organisation said around 72 per cent of these children experience repeated trauma, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, fear and social isolation, with many remaining outside mainstream social protection programmes.
The organisation said the absence of birth certificates, permanent addresses and other identity documents prevents many vulnerable children from accessing education, healthcare, shelter and legal services.
Participants said existing public programmes often fail to address the specific needs of street-connected children and stressed that broader partnerships with the private sector would be essential to expand protection and rehabilitation services.
They said CSR initiatives and child sponsorship programmes could support education, nutrition, healthcare, psychosocial counselling, life-skills training and social reintegration, while contributing to national child protection goals.
Representatives of participating companies expressed interest in developing longer-term partnerships to support child rights initiatives and promote a safer and more inclusive environment for vulnerable children.
The event was attended by INCIDIN Bangladesh Chairman Tofazzel Hossain Manju, Freedom Fund Country Representative Khaleda Akhter Shanta, INCIDIN Bangladesh Policy and Legal Chief Rafiqual Islam Khan and Programme Manager Mahbub Mirza, among others.
Representatives from companies including bKash, United Group, Bank Asia, UCB PLC, IFIC Bank, bdjobs.com, Akij Venture Group and Prity Group also participated.
