Eliminating child labour

The ministry of labour and employment adopted a national child labour elimination policy 2010 which provides a framework to eradicate all forms of child labour by 2015. But the government's pledge to eliminate child labour by 2015 doesn't seem possible at all. According to the labour law of Bangladesh 2006, the minimum legal age for employment is 14. An ILO survey has found that there are 3.2 million child labourers in Bangladesh, the majority of whom are between the age 12 and 17. The government should realise the gravity of the situation and ban child labour completely, making it an offence under law. But only banning child labour will not change the situation, unless and until we can ensure education and shelter for these underprivileged children.
Md. Ali Mas-ud
Dept of Business Administration
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology