Number of child labourers marks rise on RU campus

RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY, Mar 12: The number of child labourers is on the rise on the Rajshahi University (RU) campus indicating the prevalence of all pervasive poverty.
According to a survey report, children have been working in different restaurants, tea-stalls, halls' canteens, and shops and also in the house of affluent people.
A good number of children work as hawkers who earn a little by selling cigarette, candy, ice-cream and ground-nuts. They put in hard labour from early morning to night only for a pittance to support themselves and their families.
These children who are supposed to be in schools, have been struggling day and night in different fields. Most of these children engaged themselves in this profession after being compelled by their families, as there is none to look after them. Moreover, some of them after being driven away by their parents and other members of the family chose this profession.
While talking to some owners and shopkeepers they informed that the child labour is more or less eligible for this profession. They are more sincere, dependable and dutiful than other elderly workers. These under-aged helpers hardly create any trouble for their wages. They are always found satisfied with their earning and if they demand excess wage, they are driven away by their employers.
Royel Mian, a ten -year- old boy who works in Nawb Abdul Latif hall canteen said, "I also dreamt of going to school. But my father, a day-labourer, discouraged me to go to school in view of grave economic condition of our poor family.
My father thinks that our family will be deprived of earnings if I attend school, he also said. A similar reply came from a large number of boys and girls now engaged in different fields in RU to earn their livelihood.
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