Children work as slaves in Dublarchar fish processing
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Our Correspondent
KHULNA, Mar 28: Thousands of children have been engaged to work on force in the fishermen colonies in Dublarchar of the Sundarbans defying law of the land.
Alorkol, Narkelbariar Char, Shelare Char; Choprakhali Char along with nearby few small islands in the Sundarbans of Khulna division are called Dublar Char.
A total of 67 children were killed by various ferocious animals in Dublarchar during the period of 1998 to 2003 as per the report of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Researcher Probir Biswas focused on the matter in his Dublarchar Child Labour investigation.
About 14 child labourers die by the attack of tigers, crocodiles, snakes and other ferocious animals every year there. Thousand children go to Dublarchar in search of job.
The fishermen dry fishes in the islands from October to March every year. During the period, they bring the children aged between 14-18 from different districts of coastal area and compel them to work as slaves.
Source said the fishermen forcibly engage the children in catching, loading and unloading fish from boats, segregating fishes and in drying and so on. Neither their working times are fixed nor they are provided with a minimum wages and food.
Source said that several thousand children have been working under six thousand fishermen in Dublarchar in procuring about 14 thousand tonnes of fish and drying two thousand tonnes fish worth about Tk 400 million every season.
Concerned experts alleged that Child Labour Act is not followed in maintaining rights of the children. One 'Mohajon' there told this correspondent that child rights are being violated in this area.
Such child labour created concern among the human rights organisations. But satisfactory measures cannot be taken due to communication constraint in this remote area of the country.
According to the reports published in various dailies, forest department, Coast Guard and police rescued about one thousand children by operating several drives in the last four years.
A Khulna-based non-government organisation 'Prodipon' has started its development programme in the coastal areas of Paikgachha, Koyra upazilas of Khulna district, Rampal, Sharankhola and Mongla upazilas of Bagerhat district.
Sazzadur Rahman Alin, Director of Prodipon informed that the organisation has adopted a project in the name of Combating Forced Child Labour (CFCL) to save child labour.
KHULNA, Mar 28: Thousands of children have been engaged to work on force in the fishermen colonies in Dublarchar of the Sundarbans defying law of the land.
Alorkol, Narkelbariar Char, Shelare Char; Choprakhali Char along with nearby few small islands in the Sundarbans of Khulna division are called Dublar Char.
A total of 67 children were killed by various ferocious animals in Dublarchar during the period of 1998 to 2003 as per the report of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD). Researcher Probir Biswas focused on the matter in his Dublarchar Child Labour investigation.
About 14 child labourers die by the attack of tigers, crocodiles, snakes and other ferocious animals every year there. Thousand children go to Dublarchar in search of job.
The fishermen dry fishes in the islands from October to March every year. During the period, they bring the children aged between 14-18 from different districts of coastal area and compel them to work as slaves.
Source said the fishermen forcibly engage the children in catching, loading and unloading fish from boats, segregating fishes and in drying and so on. Neither their working times are fixed nor they are provided with a minimum wages and food.
Source said that several thousand children have been working under six thousand fishermen in Dublarchar in procuring about 14 thousand tonnes of fish and drying two thousand tonnes fish worth about Tk 400 million every season.
Concerned experts alleged that Child Labour Act is not followed in maintaining rights of the children. One 'Mohajon' there told this correspondent that child rights are being violated in this area.
Such child labour created concern among the human rights organisations. But satisfactory measures cannot be taken due to communication constraint in this remote area of the country.
According to the reports published in various dailies, forest department, Coast Guard and police rescued about one thousand children by operating several drives in the last four years.
A Khulna-based non-government organisation 'Prodipon' has started its development programme in the coastal areas of Paikgachha, Koyra upazilas of Khulna district, Rampal, Sharankhola and Mongla upazilas of Bagerhat district.
Sazzadur Rahman Alin, Director of Prodipon informed that the organisation has adopted a project in the name of Combating Forced Child Labour (CFCL) to save child labour.