Child domestic workers most abused

Speakers at a seminar yesterday identified domestic workers as one of the most vulnerable groups among the working children.
"Child domestic workers are not only abused and killed, but a vast majority are not allowed access to education, adequate rest and recreation and handle hazardous jobs involving fire and sharp objects," said Supreme Court judge Justice M Imman Ali.
Legally, working children in any profession are entitled to educational and recreational facilities, said Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, addressing the seminar, "Justice for children in Bangladesh: An analysis of recent cases", at the capital's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel.
However, implementation of the child-related laws is "in a state of limbo" as "there is a manifest lack of knowledge of the laws among the police, magistrates and prosecutors," he said. "Moreover, there is hardly any monitoring mechanism to ensure that the legal provisions are complied with."
Justice Imman noted that many domestic workers fled the homes of their employers, unable to stand the abuse, and ended up on the street as sex workers. No steps have been taken to systematically document the details of domestic workers by the government, he said.
The judge recommended that authorities be directed to get child workers registered at the local governance units of their place of origin and their place of employment so that they could be tracked.
Iqbal Nayyar, deputy country director of Save the Children, which organised the seminar, also spoke on the occasion.