Child labour persists in Dhaka’s urban informal economy despite legal safeguards

Staff Reporter

Child labour remains a persistent and growing reality in Dhaka city, driven by poverty, weak enforcement and social acceptance, according to new research presented on Wednesday.

The study, titled “Child Labour in Urban Context: Analysing Socio-Economic Factors, Root Causes, and Sustainable Strategic Solutions,” finds that despite a strong legal framework, millions of children continue to work, many of them in hazardous conditions within the urban informal economy.

The event was held in a city hotel in the capital by Educo Bangladesh and the Child Labour Elimination Platform (CLEP), moderated by Md Shahidul Islam of Educo Bangladesh. Afzal Kabir Khan of Educo Bangladesh delivered the welcome speech.

Mohammad Mozammel Haque, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Md Abdul Wadud, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Advocate Seema Haque, President, BNWLA spoke on the occasion.

Speakers at the event stressed that eliminating child labour in urban contexts requires strong collaboration between government agencies, local authorities, civil society, the private sector, and communities.

They also highlighted the importance of evidence-based policymaking and child-centered approaches to ensure that interventions effectively protect children’s rights and promote their well-being.

In his research findings, Aminur Rahman, Team Leader and Senior Researcher of EQMS Consulting Limited, said that
Bangladesh has adopted a range of protective laws and policies, and also ratified major international instruments but these commitments have not translated into effective protection on the ground, particularly in cities.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, around 3.53 million children are currently engaged in work across the country, with 1.06 million involved in hazardous labour.

At 9.2 per cent, the proportion of child labour in Bangladesh is higher than the global average of 7.8 per cent, and is rising even as global figures show a decline.

The study highlights that urban child labour is concentrated mainly in informal sectors such as domestic work, small workshops, construction, street vending, markets and waste collection, where oversight is minimal.

The survey covering 150 households was conducted in six Dhaka neighbourhoods: Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, Kamrangirchar, Adabor, Mohammadpur and Mirpur. Both working children and their parents or caregivers participated in the study.

Findings show that children enter the workforce at a very young age, with some starting as early as six years old and most between the ages of 10 and 14.

The average age of working children surveyed was just over 12. Educational attainment was low, with more than 92 per cent of children clustered at Class 5, while about one-third of parents or caregivers had no formal education at all.

Household income ranged from Tk 8,900 to Tk 50,000 per month, but nearly 69 per cent of households with working children were living below the poverty line.

Work patterns revealed long hours and limited rest. Almost half of the children worked seven days a week, averaging more than five hours a day, mainly in industrial production, construction and street-based activities.

The impact on well-being was clear, with nearly half of the children describing themselves as unhappy or very unhappy about working at their age.

The study also documents serious workplace risks. More than 38 per cent of children reported injuries such as cuts, burns, fractures or falls, with most injured multiple times in the past year.

Over half reported experiences of violence or exploitation affecting themselves or their parents, while the vast majority relied on local pharmacies rather than formal healthcare services.

Poverty emerged as the dominant root cause, cited by both children and parents as the primary reason for working.

Economic instability, irregular adult employment, rising living costs and the absence of savings leave families dependent on children’s income for survival.

Rapid urbanisation compounds the problem, as migrant families settle in slums without secure housing or services, pushing children quickly into available informal jobs.

The research also points to major structural challenges. Enforcement of child labour laws is weak in the informal economy, government monitoring is constrained by limited budgets and trained manpower, and social workers are too few to respond effectively.

Many NGO interventions remain short-term and project-based, while deep-rooted social norms continue to frame child labour as an acceptable coping strategy.

To address these challenges, the study calls for a shift towards sustainable, multi-sectoral solutions.

It emphasises the need to stabilise household incomes through livelihood support and skills training, particularly for women, to reduce reliance on children’s earnings.

Stronger coordination between labour, education and child protection authorities, alongside expanded inspection capacity in informal sectors, is also seen as critical.

Speaking at the event, Joint Secretary Mohammad Mozammel Haque said the government alone cannot eliminate child labour, nor can any single organisation do so on its own.

“This is a collective task,” he said, adding that the government wants to move forward by engaging the corporate sector.

If a specific portion of large companies’ CSR funds is allocated to tackling child labour, real change would be possible, he noted.

He also pointed out that debt traps, illness or the death of income-earning family members often force children into work.

In this context, he stressed the importance of practical, employment-oriented technical and vocational education rather than certificate-based training, so that children can grow into skilled and self-reliant citizens.

He urged stakeholders to move forward by recognising ground realities and focusing on education and skills development.

“Child labour cannot be eliminated unless the socio-economic conditions of society change,” said Abdul Wadud.

“Our efforts must continue, policies must be properly implemented, and technical education can play a crucial role in eliminating child labour.”