‘Concerted efforts must to prevent child labour’

RAJSHAHI, June 12 (BSS): Concerted efforts of all government and non-government entities has become an urgent need to prevent child labour for flourishing physical and mental health of children.
Many children especially coming from the poor and distressed families suffer from various physical and mental problems due to their engagement in risky labour.
So, all the authorities concerned should come forward and work together to protect the children from their vulnerable condition.
The observation came at a meeting titled "Divisional Child Labour Welfare Council" held at conference hall of Divisional Commissioner office in Rajshahi city on Tuesday.
The meeting was organised to mark the World Child Labour Prevention Day- 2018.
"Generation Safe and Healthy" was the main theme of the day. Local committee members of National Children Task Force joined the meeting.
Chaired by Divisional Commissioner Nur-Ur-Rahman, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Additional Commissioner Aminul Islam, Deputy Director of Divisional Directorate of Health Dr Gopendra Nath Acharya, Superintendent of Police Abdus Salam, Deputy Inspector General (Current Charge) of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments Kamrul Hasan and Public Prosecutor of Judge Court Advocate Entajul Haque.
The meeting was told that the government identified 38 child labour-prone sectors in 2012. Of these sectors, the readymade garment sector and shrimp industry are currently free of child labour.
The main cause of child labor in the country is poverty. The discussants viewed that the children are forced to sell labor for life in the age group of 6 to 7 years due to family and socio-economic reasons.
In most cases children are being involved in various types of work due to helplessness. Because of that many children can't go to school. Many children have to work for their family livelihood.
On the contrary, the employers, owners, and managers and concerned authorities prefer to engage children at work as they can easily be exploited to work longer hours with minimum wages.