Coordination must to eliminate child labour: speakers
Coordination between the government and NGOs is urgent to eliminate child labour, said speakers at a workshop in Barishal yesterday.
At least 17 lakh children are engaged in labour while 12 lakh of them are involved in hazardous jobs in the country, they said.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment, and divisional administration ogranised the programme titled “Prevention of Risky Child Labour and Implementation of Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy-2015” at Barishal Circuit House.
Addressing the event as chief guest, State Minister for Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian said the government is working to abolish hazardous child labour by 2021 and all child labour by 2025.
Under government arrangement, 90,000 children have left risky labour and engaged in education and vocational training, said the state minister. To completely eliminate risky child labour, the government and NGOs should work together, she added.
Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadik Abdullah stressed the need for updating the government base line survey conducted on child labour in 2013.
KM Ali Ajom, secretary to the ministry, said the government has undertaken projects worth Tk 284 crore to reduce child labour.
Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, was present at the workshop as special guest. She said engaging children in risky labour is inhumane. “As children cannot take decisions on their own, guardians and the state have to come forward to prevent child labour,” she added.
High officials from the ministry and local administration also attended the programme, presided over by Divisional Commissioner Md Yamin Chowdhury.
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