Out of Bidi factories, but now jobless

This was beyond their imagination a year ago when they were engaged at Bidi factories. Rohidul is an electrician and Sahanara a paper bag maker now.

"I'm very happy", a delighted Sahanara told this correspondent on Thursday while making paper bag at her house in remote Boiragirchar village in Daulatpur upazila, 45 kilometers off the district town. Rohidul is also from the same village.

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They were trained in the vocations at the initiative of a local NGO-- SETU-- and the ILO (International Labour Organisation) after they were taken out of Bidi factories last year. They had been working in the factories for over four years.

The United States Department of Labour (USDOL) funded the ILO project named PEWFCL (Preventing and Eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labour). The project concludes next month.

But all teenagers taken out of Bidi factories trained are not lucky like Rohidul and Sahanara.

A total of 368 boys and girls aged between 13-17 were trained in different vocations including tailoring, paper bag making, nursery raising, electrical work, elementary engineering.

About 200 of them are unemployed now.

Most of the teenagers taken out of Bidi factories are from Daulatpur upazila, the biggest tobacco producing and processing zone in the country.

Selim Hossain, son Abdul Kader at Begunbaria village, got carpentry training, but could not manage a job. Same is the condition of Tuhin Hossain of Philipagar village and Kalam of Golabari village. They were trained on repairing motor vehicle engine.

Their fate is uncertain and poverty may compel them to return to tobacco factories, many of them lamented while talking to this correspondent.

When contacted, MA Kader, Executive Director of SETU said he is aware of the situation. Parents of the teenagers were given Tk 28 lakh loans for income generating activities when the children were taken out of factories. But most of them did not utilise the loans to provide their trained wards.

He however said, "We will sit with them soon to see what can be done"

Contacted over cell phone, USDOL Coordinator in Bangladesh AT Siddique said the trainers of the teenagers were supposed to provide them with jobs. "There was no job commitment from us", he said.

SETU took out 2090 children and teenagers aged between 5-17 out of Bidi factories. Of them, 1170 aged between 5 and 11 have been enrolled in schools after pre-school orientation at education centres run by it. Another 190 below 5 are cared at its 28 centres.

ILO took the initiative in 2001 to remove child labour from Bidi factories in Bangladesh.

SETU started its project in December 2001 and later was joined by BTUK (Bangladesh Trade Union Kendro).

Before launching the project, a survey by SETU found that at least 5000 children were working at eight big Bidi factories in the district.

Sources said at least 2500 children are still working in eight tobacco factories in the district.