Country’s 40pc children victim of violence

Special Correspondent :
Though child labour is not acceptable anywhere in the world, but 40 per cent children of Bangladesh are being abused in their respective places of works.

The representatives of government and non-government organizations have called for the government to formulate a well-defined law on the rights and protection of children engaged in domestic work.

Speakers came up with this while speaking at a dialogue titled ‘The need for a well-defined law on the rights and protection of children engaged in domestic work’ in the conference room of the National Human Rights Commission in the city on Thursday.

National human rights organization and development organization Action for Social Development (ASD), Shapla Neer and Educo-Bangladesh organized the dialogue.

Child protection expert Sarfuddin Khan presented the keynote paper in the dialogue moderated by Rabiul Islam.

The speakers said that children engaged in domestic work have to tolerate various types of oppression including constant beatings.

Appropriate legislation can ensure to protect the children from such tortures, they added.

“Child labour is not acceptable anywhere in the world. So, the human dignity of children must be ensured by stopping child labour.

If not, the question will arise as to whether we are citizens of a civilized society,” Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)Dr Kamal Uddin Uddin Ahmed said.

He also said that many children engaged in domestic work chose to commit suicide due to physical and mental tortures and even some have taken shelter in the brothel.

“Even many are involved in various crimes. So, everyone should to work to stop all types of child labour. We know the government is working towards eliminating all hazardous child labor by 2025,” he added.

According to the keynote paper, though the government, national and international development organizations have taken various steps over the past two decades to protect the rights of child domestic workers. But, the protection of the rights of child domestic workers is still one of the most pressing issues.

Due to the weakness of the existing legal framework and inadequate implementation of policies, child domestic workers are now at serious risk, the paper said.

Most importantly, none of the existing laws of the country have ensured the rights and protection of child domestic workers. As a result, a large number of child domestic workers are completely deprived of legal protection. So, new law is necessary.

Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Labor Md Khondkar Nazmul Huda Shamim said that their ministry is working to stop child labor across the country.

“Our target is to build child labor free Bangladesh by 2025. Some four lakh children have already been removed from hazardous work under four projects,” he said.