"It is our national duty to ensure best custody for children and provide all assistance for their physical, mental and intellectual development," she said while inaugurating the World Children's Day and Child Rights Week-2004 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Centre in the capital.

The event is being observed in the country as elsewhere in the world to create a greater awareness against child trafficking, child labour and repression and murder of children.

The theme of this year's Children's Day is "Interest of children above all during cyclone, floods and disasters".

Ministers, MPs, diplomats, representatives of international development agencies and a large number of children were present at the inaugural ceremony.

Presided over by Women and Children Affairs Minister Khurshid Zahan Haque, the function was also addressed by Secretary of the Ministry M Mortuza Hossain Munshi, Unicef Country Representative Morten Giersingh, Chairperson of Shish Academy Zobaida Gulshan Ara and Child Representative Jemin Akhtar.

The prime minister distributed prizes among eight children who won gold medals in two painting competitions in Egypt and India. The function was rounded off with a cultural programme presented by child artistes.

The prime minister said there is no alternative to guarantee the safety of children, protect their interest and ensure their overall development and welfare for the future of a nation.

In this context, She said the existing law to check repression on children has been amended and initiative taken to set up an independent child rights commission.

The prime minister termed the children the future leaders and hoped that the world would be more peaceful, safer and prosperous in their hands.

She mentioned the theme of this year's Children Day as time-fitting and said children are the most vulnerable to all types of disaster.

She referred to the experience of this year's flood and said the children mostly fell victims to miseries. The government, therefore, gave priority to children, elderly people and women in relief and rescue operations, she added.

Referring to the activities of the government, she said stipend programme has been introduced at the primary level as the government laid importance to education of the children.

Besides, the girl students are getting free education with other facilities up the 12th class and a Tk 5,000-crore programme has been launched for improvement of the standard of primary education.

The prime minister said new programmes like 'Reaching out of School Children' and 'Hard to Reach' have been adopted for the working, poor and disabled children.

The prime minister recalled her participation in the special summit at the UN General Assembly in May 2002 along with some child representatives from Bangladesh.

Unicef director Morten Giersingh appreciated the prime minister for her commitment to child development.

He also praised the government for its successful tackling of the recent floods and checking diarrhoea better than any other nation.