'Free children from tobacco factories'

Children recently freed from tobacco factories staged a street corner drama (Left) and brought out a procession in Kushtia town on Saturday to create awareness against child labour (Right). PHOTO: STAR

They also urged the government to take effective steps to eliminate child labour.

The rallies were organised by Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra (BTUK) and SETU, a local NGO, marking the World Child Labour Resistance Day to create awareness among people to eliminate child labour, specially from tobacco factories.

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Both BTUK and SETU are working to eliminate child labour with assistance from the ILO (International Labour Organisation) and IPEC (International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour).

According to BTUK, about 5000 children are working in eight big tobacco factories in Kushtia.

About 1000 children attended the BTUK rally, held at Kushtia town.

It was addressed by, among others, Kushtia Municipality Chairman Anwar Ali, ILO Social Monitor Mahfujul Alam and social workers MatiurRahman Laltu and Rafiqul Islam.

BTUK's local programme organizer Ahasanul Haq Nabab told the rally that they are trying to reach agreements with tobacco factory owners to free more children from hazardous work.

After the rally, the children staged a street drama on hazardous work by children.

The other rally at Daulatpur organised by SETU was attended by about 500 children, guardians, representatives of Bidi factories and government and NGO official.

The rally was followed by a seminar on Child Labour and Ignorance of Parents, held at Daulatpur Upazial Parishad Audi-torium.

With Daulatpur Upazila Primary Teachers Association President Abdus Siddiq Mollah in the chair, it was addressed by, among others, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nazrul Islam, Upazila Village Development Officer

Siraj Uddin, Nasir Bidi Factory Manager Abu Bakar Siddique, ILO Social Monitor Jaganmoy Projesh Biswas and ILO Project Assistant Jasim Uddin.

They urged the bidi factory owners not to employ children and help their education and rehabilitation.

Mentionably, SEYU has so far taken 865 children from bidi factories in the district and provided schooling facilities for them.

On May 10, it signed an agreement with Mansur Bidi Factory, a big tobacco manufacturing factory in the district, not to employ children any more.