Bangladesh Planning Cellphone Ban for Children

Bangladesh's environment minister, Shahjahan Siraj has outlined plans to ban children from buying cellphones. Speaking at a conference of doctors and scientists in the capital city, Dhaka he said "We must not allow our children to be exposed to health hazards caused by radiation from mobile phones," The proposed regulation would not prevent children from using cellphones, just from purchasing them although parents will be encouraged to limit their usage.

"Prior to the issuance of the ban, the government will carefully examine what Australia and other advanced countries do to protect their children from invisible sources of deadly disease including high levels of radioactivity generated from X-ray, LASER ray, cellular telephones and other electric and electronic sources like high- tension electricity transmission line and various micro-wave sources," said Siraj.'"

Posted to the site on 4th June 2002