The demand was raised from a protest rally held at Prabartak intersection in the port city yesterday.
The protest rally was preceded by a human chain protesting at the gruesome murder of Sagar Barman.
10-year old Sagar Barman was killed recently by pumping air into his body through rectum. The minor from Narayanganj used to work at Zobeda Textile and Spinning Mills in Jatramura area of Rupganj. In August last year, 13-year-old Rakib was killed in a similar fashion for leaving his garage job in Khulna.
International Child Labour Elimination Day Observation Association, Chittagong organised the human chain programme.
The speakers expressed their grave concern over the increasing repression on the children from the protest rally.
With Nargis Sultana, child organiser of Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Chittagong in the chair, the protest rally was addressed by Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, Anjuman Banu Lima, Tutul Kumar Das, Pijush Das Gupta, Asaduzzaman Sourav and Sirajul Islam, among others.
Nowadays child murder, rape and repression have become a commonplace in the country. Highest punishment should be meted to the child oppressors, the speakers said.
The child rights activists also sought intervention of the law enforcement agencies so that the heinous crimes do not recur in the country.