Dhaka: An amended 'Children Act 1974' is set to be placed before the Cabinet next week.

"The draft of the amendment to the Children Act 1974 is in the final stage . . . it is likely to be sent to the cabinet division in a week," Social Welfare Ministry Secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas told BSS Tuesday.

He said, after the approval of the cabinet division the proposed law on child rights will be sent to the law ministry and later it would be tabled in parliament as a bill.

Earlier, different child rights organizations and United Nations agencies were involved in making the 'Children Act 1974' suitable to present time.

Besides, a drafting committee comprising representatives of Law Ministry, National Women Lawyers' Association (Jaitya Mohila Ainjibi Samity), Child Rights Forum, Save the Children, and UNICEF was also constituted to make the law time-befitting.

Talking to BSS, executive director of Bangladesh Jatiya Mohila Ainjibi Samity Salma Ali said, "We suggested that children's age-limit be fixed up to 18 years and rights and dignity of street children (path shishi) be ensured in the proposed amendment."

The proposed amendment to the 'Children Act 1974' aims at bringing the deprived, homeless, hizra (transgender), HIV-affected children under the coverage of the social safety net, officials added.

Ends/AMA/22/01/13