Child labour takes alarming turn in country
Saturday, 12 June 2010
There was nothing new about children being engaged in hazardous tasks in the country, but things have changed in recent times in absence of comprehensive measures to protect the vulnerable child workers, reports UNB.
With the growth of industrialisation, both in formal and in formal sectors, the number of child workers has also been increasing to keep pace with the demand. But so far there was no comprehensive study to determine their number.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) conducted the second National Child Labour Survey (NCLS) in 2002-2003 showing that there were 4.9 million working children in the country. But since then neither the government nor any non-government organisation has come forward to conduct any survey to explore the present situation of child labour in the country.
According to an expert, an estimated seven million child workers are involved in hazardous jobs at present with the majority working in urban areas in informal sectors like factory, transportation, battery recycling, small workshops, shoe factory and household work.
With the growth of industrialisation, both in formal and in formal sectors, the number of child workers has also been increasing to keep pace with the demand. But so far there was no comprehensive study to determine their number.
Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) conducted the second National Child Labour Survey (NCLS) in 2002-2003 showing that there were 4.9 million working children in the country. But since then neither the government nor any non-government organisation has come forward to conduct any survey to explore the present situation of child labour in the country.
According to an expert, an estimated seven million child workers are involved in hazardous jobs at present with the majority working in urban areas in informal sectors like factory, transportation, battery recycling, small workshops, shoe factory and household work.