Say Yes to Children: Time to Do Away with Child Labour

Childhood is meant for learning, playing and growing in a safe and nurturing environment. Yet, for many children in Bangladesh, childhood ends far too early. Poverty, social vulnerability and the demand for cheap labour continue to push children into workplaces where they are exposed to exploitation and hazardous conditions.

Child labour is not a new problem. What is troubling is the extent to which society has learned to live with it. Turning a blind eye to children working in factories, workshops, shops, homes and other workplaces amounts to a failure to protect a generation that represents the future of the country.

The controversy over underage workers in the garment sector has, from time to time, attracted international attention. Some interventions may have appeared more political than humanitarian. Yet, regardless of the motives behind such interventions, they have helped draw attention to the conditions in which many young workers were employed and, in some cases, contributed to improvements in workplace standards.

That, however, should not be enough.

Children working in hazardous environments remain vulnerable to accidents, physical injury, illness and long-term impairment. Some work excessively long hours for meagre wages, while others may receive little or no payment. Such exploitation is particularly disturbing because children are among the least capable of defending themselves against abusive employers and unfair working conditions.

Government agencies have repeatedly spoken of improving workplace safety and protecting child workers. But declarations alone cannot solve the problem. Whenever child labour becomes a subject of public debate, we hear renewed promises of action. What is needed now is not another round of assurances, but sustained implementation, effective monitoring and accountability.

The government's reported intention to formulate a national policy on child labour, particularly with the aim of eliminating its worst forms, is therefore welcome. But the success of such a policy will depend entirely on how seriously it is implemented.

It may be unrealistic to expect the complete elimination of child labour overnight in a country where poverty remains a major concern. For many poor families, a child's earnings can make a difference between survival and deprivation. Simply removing children from workplaces without addressing the economic circumstances of their families could create another set of problems.

A more practical and humane strategy would be to prioritise the elimination of hazardous and exploitative forms of child labour. No child should be exposed to work that threatens life, health, physical development or access to education. At the same time, vulnerable families need social and economic support so that children do not have to become breadwinners.

The experience of the garment sector can offer useful lessons. Where underage employment has been identified, corrective measures, monitoring and rehabilitation programmes can be considered as part of a broader national strategy. The objective should not merely be to remove children from workplaces, but to return them to education and give them a realistic opportunity to build a better future.

This is not an impossible task. What is required is political commitment, effective enforcement and coordination among government agencies, employers, civil society organisations and communities. Employers must recognise that profitability cannot come at the expense of children's rights and dignity. Labour laws must also be enforced consistently, without leaving room for exploitation.

There is, moreover, a moral dimension to the issue. From an Islamic perspective, children are a trust and society has a collective responsibility to protect the vulnerable. Justice, compassion and human dignity are central to Islamic teachings. Any system that exploits children for economic gain should therefore be viewed not merely as a labour-law issue, but as a serious moral concern.

Bangladesh has made considerable progress in economic and social development. But economic growth alone cannot define development. A country cannot claim to be truly prosperous if its children are working in unsafe conditions while being deprived of education and a normal childhood.

Our children are not cheap labour. They are the country's future citizens, professionals, entrepreneurs, scholars and leaders. The choices we make about their welfare today will shape the society we inherit tomorrow.

It is time, therefore, to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action. The government must ensure that the most hazardous forms of child labour are identified and eliminated, employers must be held accountable, and vulnerable families must receive the support necessary to keep their children in school.

Say yes to children—not to exploitation. Protecting childhood is not merely a legal obligation; it is an investment in the future of Bangladesh.

M. K. L.