90pc tempo helpers in Ctg are children

3 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Bss, Chittagong

Nearly 90 percent of the tempo helpers in Chittagong city are children engaged in violation of the UN Child Convention. Of the total tempo 4000 helpers, around 3,600 are children aged between 12 and 17 are working in 2,159 tempos that ply 18 routes of the city. Talking to BSS, deputy director of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Masud Alam said about 2,100 tempos are plying the city routes and children are working as helpers. He said they issue licences only to the drivers, but the drivers employ the children as helpers. He said they have warned the tempo drivers several times in this regard and conducted mobile courts to stop this malpractice, but the drivers are yet to respond. Masud said it would not be possible for them to refrain the children from such a hazardous jobs without raising the awareness of the drivers. Premier University Vice Chancellor Dr Anupom Sen said in the context of Bangladesh child labour could not be stopped overnight, but everybody should be conscious so that the children could be free from this perilous work. Acting chairman of Chittagong Auto-tempo Drivers' Association Abdul Malek said there is no doubt that most of the helpers are children and 90 per cent of them are between 12 and 16. He, however, held the tempo owners responsible for engaging children in such a risky occupation. Malek said the owners employ the children as helpers on a very ill payment and they have discussed the matter with them several times. He said they would be able to reach a decision in this regard within a few days. He said some children also drive tempos, defying the traffic rules, he said. Even many of them are not familiar with traffic rules, he added. These ill-fated children add to their family income with the meagre amount of money that they get from this work. Saidul, 12, who works on Muradpur-Oxygen route, said his father works as a guard in a market, but he could barely afford his family with the poor income. "So I have to do this job only for my bread and butter", he added.