Government has failed to eliminate hazardous child labour across the country in line with a national policy framed in 2010 which set a target of eliminating child labour in Bangladesh by 2016. Now the target has been reset to 2021.
Mojibul Haque, Sate Minister for Labour and Employment Ministry, said that the target has been revised realising the presence of child labour.
This fact looms over the World Day against Child Labour which Bangladesh along with the countries of the rest of the world observes today (Sunday).
At present, the government has identified 42 areas where the children are engaged in hazardous work.
More than 45 percent of the children are in the age group of 6-11.
Agriculture sector accounts for lion's share of the child labour in Bangladesh; nearly 37 percent of the total children are engaged in agriculture followed by 27.3 per cent in the manufacturing sectors.
Construction, retail, wholesale, and transport are other sectors where the children are also engaged.
Bangladesh's law, formulated in accordance with the international conventions, approves children between the age of 12 and 14 to work in non-hazardous or light work up to 42 hours a week considering the socio- economic conditions.
But if the children within the age group of 5 to 11 are engaged in non-hazardous work that will be considered as child labour.
When asked about the progress, the Labour Minister said 'About 42 areas are there where children are engaged in hazardous work. We are trying to get children freed from hazardous work within the newly set timeline,' he said.
He also said that Bangladesh hopes to eliminate child labour as a whole by 2030.
According to the latest survey, an estimated 1.28 million children are engaged in hazardous work.
The National Child Labour Survey of 2013, suggests that an estimated 3.45 million children aged between 5 and 17 are engaged in work in various sectors.
The total number of children in Bangladesh is 39.65 million (of whom 20.60 million are male and 19.06 million female).
Nearly 80 per cent of the children are school-going while the rest remain out of the school mainly because of poverty.
Poverty-ridden family cannot afford the educational expenses because they are poor and pass their days in hardship.
On the other hand, the underprivileged children are not going to school and the school dropouts involve themselves in various occupations.
The employers, owners, and managers and authorities prefer to engage children at work as they can easily be exploited to work longer hours with minimum wages.Tanu's Murder
2nd autopsy report to be submitted today
Our Correspondent
Comilla, June 11: The second autopsy report of slain Comilla Victoria College student Sohagi Jahan Tanu will be submitted to the investigative officer today.
Kamada Prasad Saha, associate professor of Forensic Medicine Department of Comilla Medical College (CMCH), also head of the medical board formed for the second autopsy of Tanu's body, told this correspondent that the report will be submitted to Gazi Mohammad Ibrahim, the investigating officer of the case and Inspector of Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The first 'controversial' autopsy report published on March 21 was rejected by Tanu's parents as it could not ascertain the reason of death or find any traces of rape.
Later, as per the order of the court, Tanu's body was exhumed on March 30 and another medical board was formed for the second autopsy.
Almost after two months of the killing of the 19-year-old college student the CID on May 16 said Tanu was raped before she was murdered.
The latest findings expose the flaws in the inquest and first autopsy reports which did not find any evidence of rape.
Tanu, a second-year history student of Comilla Victoria College and a cultural activist, whose murder created a huge uproar of protest throughout the country, was found dead about 400 yards from her house inside Comilla Cantonment on the night of March 20, according to her family members.