Hundreds of children working in different industries brought out processions and held rallies in the city yesterday in observance of the World Day Against Child Labour.

They carried banners and placards that read ``Adults will work, children will go to school'' demanding an end to child labour.

Different non-government organisations and bodies organised programmes in the city and some other parts of the country.

About five million children aged 5-17 work in tannery, welding, chemical industries, bidi factories, farms, houses as domestic help, makeshift shops and workshops in the country to support their families, ILO said in its report.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Amanullah Aman at a discussion in the city yesterday said the government is trying to root out child labour as it has been obstructing the human resource development.

He said the government initiated micro-credit scheme to the parents of child labourers so that these people can come out of dependence on the income of their children.

Tk 35.60 million has been distributed to them so far through employment bank.

Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) organised a rally at Mirpur area in the city under the auspices of its Child Labour Elimination Project.

Hundreds of child labourers who are taking technical training from the project participated in the rally. Main theme of the rally was to employ the elders so that the children could go to school.

Ahsania Mission works to get employers to send their child workers to the school and make factory work safer. It also encourages parents to send their children to school instead of work.

``We are trying to bring a change, but it's really difficult to be successful here,'' an official of the mission's school.

He said, "Poverty is the main reason for such a dreadful situation. Still, the situation has improved substantially.''

``Our first mission is to eliminate hazardous environments at work places,'' Mahbub Morshed, who mobilises employers to improve work environment, told the rally.

``Child labour in Bangladesh is a reality, but we want to eliminate it,'' Morshed said.

Children in Bangladesh are engaged in about 430 forms of child labour, of which 67 forms are hazardous and dangerous for children, according to United Nations Children's Fund.

Morshed said about 1.2 million children are engaged in hazardous work in tobacco, tanneries or chemical factories and welding workshops.