This project addresses the critical gap between Bangladesh’s progressive legal framework-anchored by the Children Act 2013 and the Pornography Control Act 2012—and the practical implementation of child protection. While the state possesses the legislative tools to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSEA), district-level social services remain under-resourced, and investigative agencies struggle with rising digital caseloads. The initiative leverages Bangladesh’s national “digital governance” momentum to modernize child protection through evidence-based advocacy, technological innovation, and institutional capacity building.

Addressing Socio-Economic Barriers
Social norms present significant hurdles; patriarchal attitudes often prioritize family “honor” over justice, leading to the informal settlement of abuse cases and the stigmatization of survivors. These dynamics are further complicated by the rapid expansion of mobile internet (over 130 million subscriptions), which has facilitated new forms of grooming and sextortion. Additionally, economic disparities in climate-affected coastal regions, tea plantations, and industrial zones drive vulnerabilities such as hazardous labor and early marriage. The project targets five wards in Dhaka North and eleven unions in Satkhira and Moulvibazar, linking families to livelihood support and social protection schemes to address these underlying financial drivers.

Institutional Integration and Capacity Building
The project functions as a catalyst within existing state structures rather than an external actor. By engaging the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Department of Social Services (DSS), and law enforcement, the initiative advocates for realistic budget allocations and child-centered performance indicators. To solve operational bottlenecks, the project will:

• Institutionalize Training:Partner with the Police Staff College and Judicial Administration Training Institute to embed accredited modules on trauma-informed interviewing and digital forensics into their permanent curricula.
• Digital Case Management:Implement a digital dashboard for real-time case tracking, ensuring survivors are not lost in fragmented referral pathways between police, health clinics, and NGOs.
• Expand Psychosocial Care:Embed trained counselors within community organizations to provide therapeutic support in neglected rural districts.

Community Engagement and Sustainability
At the grassroots level, the project combines traditional community mobilization with digital tools. Grassroots theater, youth media clubs, and dialogues with religious leaders will challenge harmful norms, while a multilingual mobile app will provide discreet reporting and safety education. To ensure sustainability, forty Community Based Child Protection Committees (CBCPCs) will receive micro-grants to implement local action plans, such as internet café watch programs.

Data-Driven Advocacy
Recognizing that data scarcity hinders policy, the project will generate disaggregated datasets on CSEA, harmonized with the National Child Protection Information Management System (NCPIMS). This empirical evidence will feed into parliamentary briefings and budget cycles, ensuring that successful models are codified in national guidelines. By fostering a coordinated ecosystem of government agencies, private sectors, and civil society, the project aims to create a scalable, state-owned model that ensures every child’s cry for help is met with a professional, timely, and compassionate response.