In the bustling industrial hub of Jinjira and Kaliganj in Dhaka’s Keraniganj upazila, the deafening clatter of machinery masks the cries of children whose childhoods are slipping away. From handling nails and iron tools to working long hours for meager pay, thousands of minors, some not even 12, are trapped in hazardous jobs, driven by poverty and weak enforcement of labor laws.
Thousands of factories cluster together in Jinjira and Kaliganj, forming one of the busiest industrial hubs.
Child mothers in factories
At a workshop in Jinjira’s Tawa Patti, 17-year-old Putul works on a heavy machine while her two-year-old daughter, Khukumoni, plays just a foot away. Two more children, aged three and four, are nearby. Of the five workers in the workshop, two are young women, two are men, and one is a child.
Putul said she took the job recently due to financial hardship. She earns around Tk250 a day, enough to keep her household running.
Low wages, higher profits
Local businessman Haji Muhammad Royal, who supplies raw materials to various workshops, explained: “Children can be hired for lower wages, so owners profit more. With business down, many factory owners prefer to hire children. Those learning the trade often receive no wages at all, which benefits the owners even further.”
Hridoy, a 14-year-old from Kushtia, came to Jinjira to learn the trade. He receives no salary, only Tk200 a week as pocket money. When his father asked the shop owner Milon for payment, he was told Hridoy would receive a lump sum next year during Eid.
In another workshop, 12-year-old Jahid makes nails, his hands bearing scars from cuts. He earns Tk3.75 per kilogram, producing 70–100 kilograms daily, earning about Tk300. Jahid, from Gaibandha, admitted he has never been to school.
Similarly, 12-year-old Mominul from Rangpur works in a workshop at Tawa Patti. He receives Tk150–200 per week for expenses but no salary; the factory owner provides food and shelter. His friend, 11-year-old Al Amin, works there too. Neither of them is currently in school.
At Tanaka Garments Market in East Aganagar, South Keraniganj, a six-story building houses hundreds of shops. Inside, dozens of children aged 8–12 work tirelessly. In one shop, of three workers, two were 11 years old, and the third was 12.
Poverty at the root
Almost every factory in Tawa Patti employs at least one child, many operating dangerous machines for meager pay. Even the owner’s 13-year-old son works in one factory. The owner admitted: “I can’t afford his schooling, so I keep him here in my factory.”
Razzak Molla, treasurer of the Industries Association, said their network includes more than a hundred factories. On child labor, he admitted: “Those who can work get wages; those still learning depend on the owner’s decision. We’ve campaigned against child labor, but it hasn’t worked. Unless the government steps in and ensures children’s rights, this problem won’t go away.”
Government and Unicef measures on child labor
On June 18, 2025, Labor Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain stated that Bangladesh currently has about 3.5 million child laborers, including 1 million engaged in hazardous work. He added that penalties for child labor violations would be increased.
UNICEF data shows that while hazardous child labor in Bangladesh fell from 3.2% in 2013 to 2.7% in 2022, the overall rate of children (aged 5–17) engaged in work rose to 8.9%. UNICEF warned that to eliminate child labor by 2025, Bangladesh must act 11 times faster than its current pace.
Health and psychological risks
Children engaged in hazardous labor are at greater risk of pneumonia, asthma, chronic lung disease, and liver disorders.
Psychiatrist Dr Kazi Rumana Haque said: “Children in such conditions struggle to express themselves emotionally. With no recreational opportunities, many turn to drugs and crime. Constant stress and unhealthy environments hinder logical brain development. For these children, money becomes the only value. Growing up in factories, they often develop violent tendencies.”
Weak law enforcement
Bangladesh’s Labor Act of 2006 and its 2018 amendment prohibit employment of children under 14 and ban hazardous labor for those under 18. Yet weak enforcement and poor monitoring mean child labor continues almost unchecked in informal sectors like small factories, hotels, transport, and domestic work.
Abu Ahmed Fayzul Kabir, senior coordinator of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), said: “Despite the legal restrictions, enforcement is too weak. Without stronger government oversight, child labor will persist.”
Advocate Ershad Alam, public prosecutor of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4, added, “Child labor is one of Bangladesh’s biggest problems. The government runs mobile courts and imposes fines, but that’s not enough. Poverty drives children to work for minimal pay. Had effective measures been taken earlier, Bangladesh could have been free of child labor long ago.”