State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Mujibul Haque said the government is determined to stop all forms of child labour by 2025 and hazardous child labour by 2021.
“We are confident enough to stop all forms of hazardous child labour by 2021 and all forms of child labour by 2025 as the government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been relentlessly working on it,” he said this on Tuesday while addressing a roundtable as the chief guest.
The discussion titled “Implementation of Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy 2015: Way Forward” was held at the Daily Star auditorium in the city.
Stressing the need for changing mindset towards domestic help and child labour, he said, “Law and policy cannot alone protect rights of domestic helps and eliminate child labour from the society.”
Haque called for waging a massive social movement with participation of all the stake holders’ including civil society men, media, cultural activists, non-government organizations (NGOs) and others to put an end to the menace.
“We are playing a role of double standard over the issues of child labour and domestic helps as many of us are publicly advocating against the social menace and doing completely reverse in home,” he also said.
While presenting the keynote paper, NGO Manusher Jonno Foundation programme coordinator Abdulla Al Mamun said Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has conducted a nationwide survey that shows around 1.7 million children are engaged as child labour and 1.28 million of them are engaged in hazardous one.
“But unfortunately, child domestic workers (CDWs) were left out from this survey due to having no authentic statistics to this end,” he said, adding that a nationwide survey of CDWs is need to prepare any plan for their protection and development.
The keynote paper suggested of synchronizing the Domestic Workers Protection Policy with the National Child Labour Elimination Policy before formulation of any action plan.
As per the policy, the government should take immediate actions to delegate the proper authority and instruction to all administrative units including Labaour and Employment Ministry, offices of DC, UNO, City Corporation, Union Parishads and CEO in cantonment so that they can start their work in accordance with the policy, it also said
Speaking on the occasion, actor Dr Enamul Huq underscored the need for increasing cultural practice to change the social outlook against violence on domestic workers and child labours.
He said media should play a responsible role in broadcasting or publishing sensitive reports on the issues.
Joint secretaries of Ministry of Labour and Employment and Ministry of Women and Children Khandaker Mostan Hossain and Abul Hossain respectively joined the roundtable.
