She had left home at six, when torture by her addicted father was intolerable.

"Once I left my home in Mirpur 1, I have gone through a horrible nine-year stretch in Karwan Bazar and Farmgate streets, being physically and mentally harassed by males who disturbed me in different ways," Mita said.

"Some would pull my scarf, touch my private parts and whenever I tried to resist them, they, like villains of a movie, would tell me that if I want to live here, I would have to bear their torture," she added.

Eleven-year-old Tuni's experiences are more bitter and harrowing. She was abused by a coolie at the Shadarghat launch terminal in the middle of the night who threatened her to cut off her private parts with sharp blade, when she put up a struggle to stop him.

"I will never be able to forget that horrible night when a fat, dark-skinned man took me near a bush under the terminal bridge and gagged and left me helpless," said the little girl.

This is the picture of two of the many ill-fated girls that live on the streets, living in fear of harassment and torture every night.

These girls are mainly abused by passers-by, shop owners, employees, salesmen and bus-truck drivers, and helpers along footpaths, in rail stations, bus stop or kitchen markets.

Even the boys are not safe in the streets. According to a survey conducted by Incidin Bangladesh on 100 street boys between seven and 12 years at Kamalapur last year, it was found that at least 94 percent children were victims of molestation.

Mita and Tuni have luckily found relief from the harsh reality of their lives thanks to Aparajeyo Bangladesh, an NGO that works with sexually abused street children, and are staying at the Drop in Centre (DIC) of Aparajeyo Bangladesh at Karwan Bazar.

They are going through some vocational training from and learning how to be self-dependent.

Compared to the total number of street children, around 70 are facilitated by the DIC.

According to the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) report in December 2004 a total number of street children in Bangladesh is 6,74,178 who can do nothing but put up with abuse, said Laila Anjum Ara, an official of Aparajeyo Bangladesh.

"Night shelter must be ensured especially for girls on the streets to protect them from sexual harassment," she said.

"Adults take undue advantage of the vulnerability of street children. On the pretext of providing jobs, security and shelter they tend to abuse them," said Director of Incidin Bangladesh Mostaq Ahmed.

Terming 'sexual abuse of street children' a serious problem, Women and Children Affairs Minister Khurshid Zahan Haque told The Daily Star that it could not be resolved in a short span of time.

She attributed poverty as a reason for children to migrate to urban areas, and lauded the role NGOs are playing in the rehabilitation of sexually abused street children and motivating the community positively.

A pilot project for 'Chinnomul Shishu Kishore Sangstha' would be expanded in six divisions within a short period, she said.

The Social Service Department of the Ministry of Social Welfare started a project in 1999 titled Appropriate Resources for Improving Street Children's Environment (ARISE) with nine NGOs with a view of improving the life style of street children.

But it could accommodate only 986 street children in its 22 night shelters while a total of 22, 336 street children are receiving services from drop in centres during the day, said a high official of the ARISE stressing the need for increasing night shelters for vulnerable children.

Wahida Banu, director (programmes) of Aparajeyo Bangladesh stressed the need for strengthening cooperation from governmental organisations to non-governmental organisations and law enforcers.

Meanwhile, the professional bodies and the community should be more supportive to make sexually abused street children to open up about their nightmarish experiences, she said.