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Bangladesh: 1st among world to ratify Child Labor Convention

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October 24, 2000 

Dhaka-- (UNB) – As 6.3 million children have been working in country’s 300 sectors, including risky ones, speakers at a panel discussion yesterday called for creating mass awareness about the hazards of child labour aimed at gradually eradicating it from the society.

They admitted that eradication of all forms of child labour is not possible immediately because of the poverty level of the families of these children and unemployment problem.

The panel discussion on Child Labour situation in Bangladesh was organised prior to holding an ILO/Japan Asian Regional Meeting on Monitoring Child Labour at the Workplace beginning today.

The meeting to be participated by 16 countries will focus on monitoring the process of successful withdrawal of child labour from the informal sectors as it affects the region as a whole.

Labour and Manpower Secretary Sirajul Islam, Chairperson of National Coordination Committee for Workers’ Education Salam Khan, President of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation ASM Quasem, ILO Regional Director Mitsuko Horiuchi and Director of ILO Geneva-based International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour Frans Roselaer were the panelists in the discussion.

Sirajul Islam said children aged between 5 to 14 years old have been engaged in various types of hazardous work in 47 sectors, including prostitution, bidi factories, tanneries and houses.

“But eradication depends on elimination of poverty,” he said.

The Secretary said Bangladesh is the first among world community, who ratified the Convention of Child Labour in 1989 session of the UN General Assembly, and has taken steps to implement ILO convention 182 to eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour adopted in 1999.

He, however, called for creating awareness among all, including employers and trade unions, to make them aware of the problem as it is not possible for the government to solve the problem alone.

President of BEF ASM Quasem termed the problem unfortunate and recalled the success in eliminating child labour from the garments sector for the sincere efforts of the government and the employers.

He said improvement of the child labour situation needs uplift of the socio-economic condition as a whole.

Salam Khan said the concept of eliminating worst forms of child labour came, as the children are the workforces of the future. He stressed on improving the condition of the families of the children working at risks.

He said the ILO 182 identified the worst forms of child labour, which was unanimously ratified by the member countries for enacting necessary legislation to eliminate the inhuman work.

Frans Roselaer said the risky child labour is felt inhuman but it requires cooperation from employers, workers, educators, parents, government and dedicated organisations to solve the problem.

The ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour with the financial support of the Japanese Government has organised the regional meeting where representatives of host Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam will participate.