A staggering revelation from the National Child Labour Survey 2022 conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) indicates that approximately 1.78 million children, aged 5 to 17, are engaged in child labour in Bangladesh. The survey further delineates that out of the 3.54 million working children in this age group, nearly half are ensnared in child labour, with a concerning 1.07 million toiling under hazardous conditions.
The unveiling of these disquieting statistics occurred at the “Report Dissemination Program of Establishment-Based Sector-wise Working Children Survey-2023 and National Child Labour Survey-2022,” convened at the BBS auditorium in Agargaon, the capital city, on Thursday.
The event witnessed the participation of distinguished personalities including Md Shahiduzzaman Sarker, the State Minister for Planning, and Dr Shahnaz Arefin, Secretary of the Statistics and Informatics Division, who emphasized the government’s relentless commitment to eradicating child labour from the nation by 2025.
Contributing to the discourse, Tuomo Poutiainen, the ILO Country Director, underscored the indispensable role of education and poverty alleviation in combating child labour. Similarly, Matt Cannell, Deputy High Commissioner of the British High Commission, emphasized the urgent need for collective action to achieve the goal of eliminating child labour by 2025.
Eminent educationist Rasheda K. Chowdhury advocated for bolstering government stipends and introducing mid-day meals in schools as strategies to mitigate child labour.
The comprehensive National Child Labour Survey 2022 encompassed 30,816 households across 64 districts, meticulously selected through the 2022 Population and Housing Census. Notably, the survey delineated the prevalence of child labour across various sectors, with alarming statistics pointing to 60.8% of working children being employed informally and a mere 60.7% simultaneously attending school.
Furthermore, the survey shed light on the dire circumstances faced by child labourers, with 7% engaged in hazardous work with heavy tools and nocturnal hours. Additionally, it brought attention to the plight of child domestic workers, predominantly female, and highlighted the prevalence of child labour in hazardous sectors such as automobile workshops and manufacturing of leather footwear.
The findings underscore the urgent need for concerted efforts to eliminate child labour, safeguarding the future of millions of vulnerable children across Bangladesh.
