Start registration to allow hiring domestic help

Domestic helps should be hired following a certain registration process while a regular investigation in the capital's households is also needed to stop child labour and violence, speakers told a conference yesterday.

They also said most of the domestic help torture cases get adjourned without punishing the perpetrators. Labour and human rights activist said these at a roundtable organised by Bangla daily Prothom Alo at its office in the capital.

The government should launch a mandatory registration process for recruiting domestic helps so that children can be stopped from getting hired. Also a regular investigation at Dhaka houses is needed to ensure children are not working as domestic helps, said Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS).

“We have to change our mindset to stop violence against the domestic help,” said Mujibul Haque, state minister for the ministry of labour and employment, adding, the government is planning to form a law for the domestic helps in this regard.

Salma Ali, executive director of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association, said the government's support is needed so that the victim's family can get justice.

Rasheda K Choudhury, a former caretaker government adviser; Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman; and Syeda Munira Sultana, project coordinator of International Labour Organisation also spoke.