Speakers at a view-exchange meeting held at a local hotel yesterday in the port city said the child labour in the country should be monitored effectively.
World Vision Bangladesh, a Non-Government organisation organised the meeting with government and non-government organisations for effective monitoring child labour in workplaces.
With Mrittunjoy Langcham, child protection officer of World Vision Bangladesh in the chair, the meeting was attended by representatives from different agencies including labour office, police, social service, child rights defenders, juvenile organisations, ward councillors, social workers and civil society leaders.
“The number of children involved with child labour has decreased over the years in the country.
Out of total 34 lakh, as many as 29 lakh children are still involved with hazardous jobs and 16 lakh are deprived of receiving salary,” said Mrittunjoy Langcham.
Though it is not altogether possible to eliminate child labour from the country in the existing socio-economic context, we can bring it down to a tolerable limit, the discussants said.
They also demanded including the occupation of house help into the category of hazardous jobs for children since one in four female domestic helps become victims of some forms of physical or mental torture including sexual abuse.
The government published a list of 38 hazardous works for children including butchery, chemical, working in bidi-cigarette factories, handling goods in ports and ships and working as a driver’s assistant for bus, truck and human haulers.
The speakers also urged the officials of Labour Department to intensify their inspection so that the employers cannot employ children in hazardous occupations.
Kazi Shahidul Islam, assistant director of Labour Department, Chittagong urged the registered medical practitioners not to issue false fitness certificates to any underage children.