Child Labor Still Common Sight in Bangladesh

Child Labor Still Common Sight in Bangladesh

‘Millions of children around the world are trapped in child labor, depriving them of their childhood, their health and education, and condemning them to a life of poverty and want.’ [UNICEF]

At present, Child labor is a significant global concern. On the basis of UNICEF and ILO report, about 168 million children aged 5 to 17 are involved in child labor. In south Asia, there are 16.7 million children in child labor in which 5 million in Bangladesh. Day by day it is rapidly growing in different sectors. Bangladesh is the world's eighth most populous nation of 160 million people in South Asia. About 12.9 percent people of it live below the national poverty line of US $2 or in extreme poverty (World Bank, 2016). Therefore, to secure a better living or simply to support their family, poor parents are engaging their children to work from a very early stage. According to ILO, ‘Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful’.

There is strong commitment of the Government of Bangladesh to the elimination of the child labot, but it is still a major problem here. Among the total child labor in Bangladesh, about 83% are employed in rural areas in which about 17% are employed in urban areas. These children engage to work, often in hazardous and low-wage jobs in different sectors such as construction sector, agriculture sector, street hawker, waste-picking, garments sector, transportation sector, domestic work, leather tannery, various industries and in many risky works. It is found from a research of Maria Quattri, that child laborers in Bangladesh are working 64 hours a week. It is reported that children are paid less than adults, with many working up to twelve hours a day. UNICEF wrote on an article ‘long hours, low or no wages, poor food, isolation and hazards in the working environment can severely affect children’s physical and mental health.’

Child labor is a crucial problem throughout the country. But the children are the future of a country. A children brought up properly may build up a better society. When a child is bound to work hard for his livelihood, the society loses all its expectation. But now-a-days, child labor has become a common phenomenon in Bangladesh. The main cause of child labor is poverty. Sometimes, their ignorant parents force them to earn money for their family.

They works in garments factories, as a servant in restaurants, shops, houses & also as a hawker, bus or tempo helper, van or rickshaw puller, day labor and in many risky works. It is a matter of great regret that they work hard but get a very little amount. They have to work all day long for their living. They have to starve whenever there is no work for earning. More over, they don’t get proper food and clothing; they don’t live in a healthy environment. They are also being deprived of education.

They are also being deprived of education. They are supposed to be at schools for learning like other children but they work as a child labor. This child labor leads our country to a dark future. So, there is bad impact of child labor on future generation. The rules and regulations of HRC (Human Rights Commission) are about absent in Bangladesh. For this reason, children are tortured inhumanly in different environment. So, proper measurement should be taken by the Government and concerned people of the society. More child-home should be established for deserted children. Economic emancipation can reduce child labor. It should be banned and a strict law should be promulgated against all ill-treatment towards them. After doing all these, we can expect the children enjoying their fundamental rights and a child labor free Bangladesh.

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