The children said they were mostly engaged in hard and hazardous jobs but are low paid. Even they are sometimes not paid at all.

The hard and hazardous work has taken a heavy toll on their health and as a result, they are suffering from various complications, they told the lawmakers.

Such works are also impairing the growth of children, causing the nation to be deprived of healthy and educated generation, the children said.

Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), an NGO working to protect child rights, organised the meeting in association with TDH Netherlands at the IDB Bhaban in the city.

About 20 child workers took part in the meeting and exchanged views with the lawmakers Mostafizur Rahman, Advocate Promod Mankin, Alhaj Dr Mohammad Ali, Md Shahiduzzaman, Md Mosharraf Hossain and Dr Md Abdur Razzak.

The lawmakers said poverty is a main factor which forces children to be engaged in hazardous job.

Lack of awareness among the parents is also responsible for prevalence of child labour, they observed.

They called for strict enforcement of the existing laws to check child labour.

Advocate Roksana Khandaker, chairperson of the BSAF, moderated the programme while AYM Mosharraf Hossain, director of BSAF, and Abdus Shahid Mahmud, project coordinator of BSAF, also spoke.