Child Labour

Child Labour is one of the major problems in a developing country such as Bangladesh. It is engineers the demolition of future generations. If a child is made to work from an early age, with no scope of going to school, we are gradually narrowing the nation’s potential to a few privileged people of the country. Thus, it is more practical to work at a firm policy to gradually reduce it, and set up safe homes for working children. In this regard, the Bangladesh government has made a policy, commitment to the issue of child rights. This includes a number of steps taken in recent years as ratification of the convention on the rights of child.

 

The child Labour has been defined as the employment of children under a certain age, set by national or international child Labour laws. ILO convention 138 sets 15 as the minimum age for admission to full time employment and 132 for light part time work, in countries with insufficiently developed economics and educational facilities, these ages are 14 and 12 respectively. For all hazardous works, the lower age limit is 18 years.

 

Bangladesh has a large number of child Labour, working at several sectors. According to a Labour face survey 299596, 10-19 age group working children totaled 16.9 million, which was nearly 19.9 percent of total Labour force. The regional conference on child Labour held at the beginning of 2001, informed the press that there were a fold of 6.3 million child Labourers in Bangladesh, employed in 300 sectors. Among the sectors, jobs in a total of 47 sectors are most hazardous.

 

There are several causes of child Labour and they are more complex and context specific. However, more important reasons many be in identified as under, generally, poverty and vulnerability sometimes necessitate children earring in come, low quality education, Social and cultural traditions, children’s own desire.

 

In Bangladesh, different laws and regulations have been enacted with a view of protect children form work. A memorandum of understanding (Mou) between the governments of Bangladesh and ILO, ipec was signed on October, 11, 1994 and piece activities were started in 1995 till now 97 action programs have been implemented under piece.

 

Although elimination of child Labour is desirable but it is a difficult task in meal term. For successful elimination, a coordinated, continuer and steady efforts can be justified. However, phase by hase elimination of child Labour may be possible identifying child workers, enhancing educational program, strict actions, legal measures, assistance to families, motivational and publicity campaign, rehabilitating, collection and dissemination of information.

 

However, the Child labor laws need to be strictly enforced by the Government. The general public need to be made aware of the severe consequences of Child labor. An increase in employment opportunity for adults would help in overcoming the problem of poverty and child labor. Government should ensure that every child gets the opportunity to go to school. The owners of factories and mines should take the pledge of not engaging child in their place of business.