Call to eliminate child labour

18 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Elimination of child labour is vital to ensure education of children and development of human resources, speakers at a national consultation said yesterday. The consultation titled 'Country Responses to Child Labour and Way Forward' was held at a city hotel, jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and International Labour organisation (ILO). Presenting a paper, Dr Rushidun Islam Rahman, Research Director, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), said the rate of youth unemployment is high in the country and that the elimination of child labour can help the youth to be absorbed into labour force. Training policies must also be adopted for children, especially from low income group, who are not studying and are likely to join work, she said and stressed the need for their engagement in non-formal education. Prof Dr Monirul Islam Khan said child labour leads to lower wage level and high rate of adult unemployment, resulting in low national income and low productivity. Child labour has no occupational mobility, it also tarnishes international image and with 70 percent working children facing serious hazards at work, they gradually become physically inactive, he said. The government must ensure education for these working children to eliminate child labour, he said. Speaking as the chief guest, Secretary to the Ministry of Labour and Employment said poverty is the main obstacle to eradicating child labour. Dutch Ambassador AJAJMG Hennekens, and Gagan Raajbhandari, director, a.i, ILO, also spoke at the programme.