Child Helpline 1098 has been launched with the support of UNICEF under the Department of Social Services of the Ministry of Social Welfare nationwide for the protection of children . If any child in any part of the country is subjected to any kind of violence, torture and exploitation, the child himself or any other person can call 1098 helpline for free and seek help. In this case, your redressal will be easier.
Department of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Welfare launched the program of 'Child help line 1098' nationwide from last December 2015 with the financial and technical support of UNICEF in order to ensure child rights and social facilities of children according to the Child Act 2013. Later, the Hon'ble Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina announced the auspicious launch of 'Child help line 1098' nationwide on 27th October 2016 through a video conference from Ganabhaban. Toll free short code 'Child help line 1098' collects and stores information related to child rights violations like child marriage, child labour, child abuse, child trafficking etc. round the clock (24X7) to ensure child rights and social facilities of children. Providing essential services. A Centralized Call Center (CCC) of Child Help Line has been set up on the 8th floor of the Department of Social Services at Agargaon, Dhaka. The Call Center operates 24 hours a day including public and weekend holidays.
What is 1098 helpline ?
It is a system or service, which extends a helping hand by protecting all types of privacy to protect the child from all influences or pressures. People get help from 1098 helpline only through normal phone . You can call 1098 helpline from any part of the country within 24 hours .
Why is 1098 helpline needed ?
Many times children or adults do not share their problems or need protection with friends or family. For example, teenagers are afraid to tell anyone if they are victims of eve-teasing. Everyone thinks that no one else will understand their problems, or that everyone around them will treat them differently if they talk about their problems. In some cases we don't want to share even very sensitive things with our close people. Many times children are unable to express themselves or have no clear idea of how to express themselves. In such situations, helpline can be remedied.
What does the 1098 helpline help with?
1098 helpline helps to prevent child abuse, child trafficking, child marriage and provide legal services to children ;
1098 helpline provides telephone counseling services apart from child emergency services/rescue of children from dangerous situations;
Help children connect with existing social protection in the community through safe shelter, resettlement and network coverage.
How does 1098 helpline help ?
When someone seeks help from the 1098 helpline, a social worker first introduces them.
Then, according to the helpline's own rules, the name of the help-seeker and the type of assistance sought are asked.
If the aid seeker seeks any child aid, he/she is given aid according to his/her needs. In this case, the call continues until the help seeker finishes speaking.
The social worker can ask about the name, age and residence of a help-seeker, if someone does not want to reveal his name, identity, or expresses reluctance to disclose, then the 1098 helpline helps to keep it confidential.
1098 helpline will keep the information of the help-seeker confidential, it is also made clear in this regard.
Checks the type of assistance required by the aid candidate (for the child) and requests the appropriate local authorities (District Administrator, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Police, Probation Officer) to take urgent action.
At the same time, the social worker tries to ensure the necessary services of the child by constantly following up with all concerned to ensure the safety of the child.
Achievement of Child Helpline-1098
(From December 2015 till date)
229464 calls received
1691 cases of child abuse are remedied
789 family problem solutions
2421 homeless and destitute/missing children to safe accommodation or relocation to families.
Legal aid to 10522 children
Providing health information and counseling to 9170 children
Assisted 2814 children in school education through communication with school teachers, managing committee and parents.
226 Refer to counseling and treatment centers about drug and other drug use and harm
End child marriage of 1527 children
Case Study 1: Affirmation of Legal Rights of Four Children
Rahima (12), Koli (10), Mumtaz (9) and Taslima (12) all live with their parents in Bau Bazar area of Hazaribagh area. Their parents are very poor, some are rickshaw pullers or daily labourers. On the afternoon of March 6, 2016, a person called and informed that the mentioned children were victims of sexual abuse. Torturer Mizan, aged approximately 42 years, owns a hotel business in Bau Bazar area. The caller said that a local arbitration was organized on the matter and the rapist was released with a slap. The parents were not satisfied with the decision and sought the help of Child Helpline. They want a legal solution to the matter.
The helpline matter was immediately informed to the Probation Officer and subsequently through a call conference with the caller with the OC of Hazaribagh police station. A case of sexual harassment was registered on March 8, 2016 with the help of the OC of Hazaribagh police station. Through continuous communication between the probation officer and the helpline, the police managed to arrest Mizan, the torturer, on March 8, 2016 at nine o'clock at night.
On March 9, 2016, Mr. Abdur Rahim, the father of a child, called the helpline and said that due to financial difficulties, he could not afford to hire a lawyer to handle the case. With a view to speedy resolution of the matter, the caller was informed about the whole matter through a conference with the chairman of Law Support Center for Human Rights, Mr. Advocate Alauddin Khan (01712823256) and assistance was sought for handling the said case. Advocate Alauddin Khan agreed to provide assistance in handling the case and appeared in court on the same day.
After a long legal process, the learned court sentenced the torturer. The children are currently with their parents and attend school regularly.
Children's pseudonyms have been used in consideration of child protection.
Correspondent, Mosammat Samsi Ara Begum, Helpline Officer, Department of Social Services
Case Study-2: From Railway Line to Nest of Peace
Seeing a seven-month-old baby lying near the Comilla railway station, local people with the help of the police handed over the baby to a nearby family. The child has scars on his face and cannot lift one leg (disability). When the local child-friendly police officer informed Mr. Nurul Amin, Probation Officer of Samaj Seva, Comilla about the unidentified child, he first sought the child's family. Not being able to find a family, he sent the child to Chotmani Nibas, managed by the Department of Social Services, through the court for long-term protection and shelter for the child.
The child was again sent back to Comilla Probation Officer as there was no provision of specialized services for disabled children at Chhotamani Nibas. The probation officer places the child in temporary foster care with the family where the child was originally placed. The probation officer resumed contact with various public and private agencies seeking safe havens to protect the child's best interests, all of which expressed an inability to accept the child.
Meanwhile, the family where the child was temporarily was very poor, they started using the child for begging. The Probation Officer in charge of the State apparatus for the protection of the child finally surrendered to the Director General (DG) of the Department of Social Services Mr. Gazi Mohammad Nurul Kabir (Additional Secretary). According to the immediate instructions of the DG, the Probation Officer called Social Services, Child Helpline-1098 on December 26 and sought assistance for the safe shelter of the child.
After receiving all the child's information, the helpline contacts various service providers from the Resource Directory. Finally, on 29 December 2016, the deputy director of Mother Teresa, a non-governmental organization that works with abandoned children, expressed interest in adopting the child. On 16th January 2017 following the application of the organization, after the legal process of the court, the learned court granted permission to send the child to Mother Teresa (Non-Governmental Organization).
On January 17, 2017, the child was brought to the institution directly from Comilla to Dhaka. The child was formally handed over to Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa, 26 Islampur Road, Dhaka under the supervision of City Social Services Office-3, Dhaka. The child was named Khadija. Currently the child is growing up beautifully at the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa.
Correspondent: Noorani Begum, Helpline Officer, Department of Social Services
Case Study-3: Prevention of Child Marriage
Child Nasima Akhter (15), father Arman Hossain, mother Maryam Begum, lives in Wari Thanadhin 28/2, KM Dash Lane, Dhaka-1203, Wari Thanadhin, Wari No. 39, Quarter No. 4, Hardah Glass Factory, Dhaka-1203. He studied at Tikatuli Shaheed Nabi High School in New Ten in Commerce. His mother is desperate to get him married as his class roll-4, 1st term examination of the child is going on.
On March 23, 2017, at 12:46 PM, Meghla, an employee of Ward Vision, called Bangladesh Child Helpline-1098 and said that her younger sister's friend, Nasima Akhter, is wearing yellow today and is getting married tomorrow. Her mother got a good boy so arranged the girl's marriage without the child's father's permission. Caller seeks 1098's help to stop child marriage.
The head teacher and assistant teacher of the child's school are immediately discussed about the child's marriage. The assistant teacher informed that the child was being taken to her mother-in-law's house in Lakshi Bazar in Sritrapur and was being married off.
Later, information was given to Dhaka District City Social Service Office-1, its Social Service Officer Mr. Nurul Islam and Wari Police Station OC to take necessary measures to stop child marriage.
With the help of social service officer Nurul Islam and the police station, Shishu Priya informed the child's father about the harmful aspects of the marriage and the legal issues with the local dignitaries of the area where the marriage was arranged. The child's parents finally understand and write to the effect that if the child does not complete the age of 18 years, there is no idea of marriage before him. The social service officer assures the family that assistance will be provided to the parents if the child needs any assistance in their studies. This is how Nasima Akhter's marriage ended. Currently he is attending school regularly.
Children's pseudonyms have been used in consideration of child protection.
Correspondent: Nazneen Sultana, Helpline Officer Helpline Officer, Department of Social Services
Contact for special needs
Child Sensitive Social Protection in Bangladesh (CSPB) Project
Department of Social Services (8th Floor)
E-8/B-1, Agargaon, Dhaka
Phone: 58153535, 58152842
Planning and Implementation: Cabinet Division, A2I, BCC, DoICT and BASIS
Technical Assistance:
