Using children as market-goods carrier inhuman: Experts

Using children as carrier of goods on their heads is detrimental to their normal physical and mental growth. This is also violation of child rights, experts have said at a programme in Rajshahi city. Prof Md Nurullah of Psychology Department of Rajshahi University, Dr Moyeen Uddin, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and Prof Dr Komor Uddin of Department of Neurology of RMCH, among others, spoke. The speakers said, a section of rich-class people use the children to carry their goods purchased moving from one shop to others. They take those to either their private cars or other vehicles parked on the main roads. Even, some of the owners take their goods to their residents by the children. Some greedy people are using these helpless children and forcing them to work for low-cost rate by avoiding domestic law, they said. There are 25-30 thousand children who are working in the engineering workshop, welding factories, garages, vehicles, footpath’s hotels along with domestic house in the city. Poor parents are being compelled to send their children for risky labour as well. Because they have no ability to manage their family, as they are poor. The ultimate result is physical and mental damages, the experts cautioned. Many even experience amputations or loss of body parts, they warned. Child domestic workers are often found to be victims of verbal and sexual abuse, beating or punishment by starvation. They are being deprived from their normal life as well. As a result, there are increasing drug addiction and crime trends across the city, they observed, according to a news agency.