RANGPUR Mar 24: A good number of child labourers are engaged in different hazardous works across the district. Consequently, they are risking their lives and also being deprived of their fundamental rights.
Sources said abject poverty and ignorance of the parents are the main reasons behind the spurt in child labourers at different hazardous works including tobacco processing centres, tobacco field, bidi factories and different workshops.
Sources said around 30 per cent to 35 per cent children of remote areas of the district do not go to school although the government has made primary education compulsory.
Instead of going to school the children are engaged in various income generating activities in order to support their insolvent families.
Sufia (11), a child worker at a bidi factory of Haragachh area in Kawnia upazila of the district told The Financial Express although she had a desire to go to school, she could not fulfil the desire. Due to extreme poverty her parents forced her to work at bidi factory instead of going to school, she added.
Like Sufia thousands of children of the district are working in different bidi factories and tobacco processing centres and inhaling polluted air which ultimately causes fatal diseases. They are frequently exposed to tobacco dust and toxic chemicals.
Many children become victims to various chronic respiratory diseases like asthma, TB, bronchitis, and also skin and eye diseases owing to floating of tobacco dust on air.
According to sources, the labour law prohibits anyone below 14 years for employment. It also defined the tobacco industry as highly risky and bars anyone below 18 years to work.
In these circumstances, the conscious people of the region have opined that necessary steps should be taken to stop child labour in hazardous works in order to ensure a better life for the children.
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