Speakers at a seminar yesterday urged the government to take immediate steps to stop seasonal child labour in the fishing sector at Dublar char under Bagerhat which is a flagrant violation of the worst forms of Child Labour Convention 1999.
Terming the employment of children at the char for fishing just 'slavery', they said each year from October to March, the children from destitute family were taken to the char by some unscrupulous fish traders with nominal wages.
It was disclosed that a total of such 67 child labour at the char went missing between 1998 and 2003 and assumed that tigers, crocodiles, sharks and wild pigs ate them up.
Combating Forced Child Labour (CFCL), a project run by Prodipan, an NGO, and Child Labour Forum organised the seminar on 'Duties to stop child labour at Dublar char' at the National Press Club in the city.
Speaking as the chief guest, Chief Whip Abdus Shahid said it is important to reduce poverty first as it is the main cause of all sorts of social ailments, including child labour.
“Taking advantage of poverty, some unscrupulous groups, who want to earn money easily, employ children into their businesses or industries providing nominal wages, but this culture should be stopped through proper application of law,” he said.
Shahid also said proper monitoring system with available inspectors should be strengthened which will ensure application of law to reduce child labour from different sectors.
He stressed the need for 100 percent primary education along with incentive programme for all to reduce child labour significantly.
Taking part as the special guest in the programme, Shajahan Khan, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on environment and forest ministry, said there is a huge shortage of inspectors in all sectors to monitor to find out any violation and take steps accordingly.
“The government is much sincere to fill up such vacant posts, but it is sorry to say that it will take two tenures of the government due to complication of law and bureaucratic tangles,” he said.
Shajahan stressed the need for formulation of a national children protection policy as well as creating awareness to reduce child labour in the country.
Executive director of Prodipan and general secretary of Child Labour Forum jointly presented a keynote paper where they made some recommendations, including reduction in child labour, especially in fishing industry in char areas, legal obligation for the forest department official to strengthen monitoring system, compulsory submission of birth registration cards for the concerned labour, rehabilitation of recovered child labour and alternative employment of the parents or guardians of the children who engage their children into worst forms of jobs.
Journalist Khairuzzaman Kamal presided over the seminar which was also addressed by Nazrul Islam Manju MP, Aniruzzaman Ratan, vice president of CLWF, Mahbubul Alam Tahin, programme manager of WBB Trust.