Speakers at a programme underscored the need for introducing a system which would keep records of all child workers to ensure safe migration from rural to urban areas, prevent child trafficking, and check child exploitation.
Eliminating hazardous child labour is still a challenge for Bangladesh as poor guardians are compelled to rely on their children for their livelihood, they said, adding that law enforcement agencies were sometimes unable to take measures against child exploitation as there were rarely facts about them at government or non-government organisations.
In many cases they fall prey to human trafficking for this reason, they added.
They made the observation while addressing an awareness programme held in Charbaria and Tumchar areas under Chandramohon unions on the outskirts of Barisal city Friday.
Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA), with the financial assistance of the European Union and Save the Children International under the Rural Urban Child Migration Project (RUCMP), organised the programme.
The programme featured discussion, along with the distribution of prizes for painting and essay-writing competitions on the elimination of child labour.
Advocate Manjuara Begum, divisional coordinator of BNWLA, presided over the programme.
Masuk Kamal, RUCMP area coordinator of the project, conducted the programme, which was addressed by local government representatives and guardians.
The discussants said that although the local government organisations have standing committees on women and children’s welfare to properly address child rights violations, they are not working now.
They also suggested the introduction of an effective registration system for migrant children, along with the activation and monitoring of steering and standing committees at union, ward and upazila levels comprising non-state actors and community representatives.
Child registration cells in the local government units will work to issue a registration card for each child-employee which will contain a photo and full description of the child along with his family, education and health background, they explained.
A copy of the card should be checked and preserved by the employer and collected data would be preserved on the computer network and provided to all who need it, they suggested.
Participants at the programme urged caregivers, media, law enforcement agencies, civil society and local and central government organisations to raise awareness to properly address forced labour, sexual abuse, trafficking and exploitation of children.
