Live Correspondent: A total of 496 children were raped during the first six months of the year, a jump of 41 percent compared to the previous year, said a report on Sunday.

Action for Social Development (ASD) and Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) revealed the report marking the World Children Day and Child Rights Week at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.

The report was prepared based on reports published in different national dailies.Development of Children at High Risk (DCHR) project Manager UKM Farhana Sultana of ASD delivered the keynote paper while its executive Director H Chowdhury,

BSAF director Abdus Sahid Mahmud, ASD Monitoring and Evaluation Manager Lutfun Nahar Kanta were also present.

Farhana Sultana said the trend of impunity is the main reason behind the rise in child rape incidents in the country.

She said that the number of child workers who are involved in risky labour is 1.28 million in the country and among them 4,20,000 are working as domestic helps.

The speakers urged the government to take necessary steps to prevent the alarming incidents of child rape and abuse.

Dhaka 06  October (campuslive24.com)//Az