DHAKA: The World Day Against Child Labour will be observed in the country as elsewhere across the globe Saturday with an urge for tackling underlying poverty that breeds child labour, a problem Bangladesh finds hard to resolve.

Some 80 lakh children are engaged in different jobs in the country, 16 lakh of them in risky jobs, according to a UNICEF finding.

Coinciding with the opening of the football world cup, the ILO-selected theme for this year “Go for the goal-end child labour” has put the spotlight on the need for urgent national and international steps in eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) observes the day on June 12 since 2002 spearheading campaigns to ensure children’s rights.

A number of local and international organizations working in the country have taken up various programmes, including rally and cultural function, in observance of the day.

More than 80 Lakh children are now engaged different kinds of economic activities in urban areas, says a report of the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Bangladesh, published on June 10.

Out of them, 50 activities were termed `worst form of labour` because of their hazardous nature.

Sultan Uddin Ahmed, Assistant Executive Director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, a local organization, informed banglanews24.com.bd that more than 16 Lakh children are in ‘risky’ as well as hazardous jobs.

The hazards came because of working with fire, flame, electricity, harmful chemical substances, garbage, high-speed machinery, inappropriate hand tools, sharp equipment, extreme heat or cold, he elaborated.

He, however, hailed the government as it prepared the National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010 but expressed his concern over state of its implementation.

“The policy is a good one, but there is no mechanism for its implementation,” he said.

Terming Child labour a social problem he urged the government to create awareness on the issue among the people.

The Finance Minister, however, announced Thursday in his budget speech that the government would keep 40,000 children away from risky jobs and provide them with non-formal education in the next 3 years.

“As a result, they will be able to help parents in their work”, added the Finance Minister. He did not mention the commencing date for the project, however.

Bangladesh is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children (CRC). Article 32 of CRC explicitly addresses the right to freedom from exploitation, the right to education (Article 28 and 29), the right to participate in the decisions affecting them (Article 12) and the right to an adequate standard of living (Article 27).

On the eve of the day, representatives of civil society, human rights and development workers Friday demanded implementation of Article 182 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention in ensuring the human rights of the working boys and girls.

They made their demands from a human chain formed by Bangladesh Labour Welfare Organisation at Muktangon.

BDST: 1510 HRS, June 11, 2010
RT.TSA/SMS/MUA