Fourteen year old Jannat Ul Ferdous was always told she would never have a chance to go to school as she was a girl.
Being one of her parents' three daughters, she was always considered a burden on her family. To lessen the burden she started working as a domestic help.
Little did she know her employer was not going to pay her a salary, despite the long hours she served at their place. Eventually, Action for Social Development (ASD) found her and admitted her to school.
Jannatul was sharing her experience with the audience at a round-table discussion of policy makers and working children, organized by Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum at the Daily Star auditorium in the capital on Monday.
Speaking at the program as chief guest, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Md Mujibul Haque, said Bangladesh has a Domestic Worker Protection and Welfare Policy, but it needs to be enacted into law.
“If we can make a law to protect domestic workers, particularly children, they will benefit,” said the MP, adding that people hiring children as domestic help would be more careful if the law ensures punishment for those breaching the law.
Additional Secretary of Ministry of Labour and Employment said there is no alternative to ending child labour to ensure the safety of every child.
“Ministry of Labour and Employment should be the focal ministry to end child labour, but participation of other ministries like women and children affairs ministry, and the local government ministry is vital for ending child labour,” he said.
Dr. Khawja Shamsul Huda, chairperson of Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum said, at present, around four crore children are involved in some sort of child labour, but the child labour rate will come down to zero in the future.
Additional Secretary (Institution and Disabilities) , Ministry of Social Welfare, Shushanta Kumar Pramanik, said it is true that child labourers are contributing to the economy, but their input will be 10 times more if we can make them competent for the future with an education.
Head of Humanitarian Program of Islamic Relief Bangladesh, Golam Mostasim Billah, and Chairman of DAWN Forum, Md Mahbubul Haque, among others, were present at the event.
