Eliminate child labour in Keraniganj garment industry

The rights activists urged everyone, including the media, to come forward for implementing the approved action plan of the government to eliminate child labour.

They also stressed for rehabilitation of around 20,000 children, aged 7 to 14 years, engaged in vulnerable jobs at small readymade garment (RMG) factories in Keraniganj area of Dhaka.

Bangladesh Labor Foundation (BLF) urged the workers and journalist leaders to come forward in this regard in a views-exchange meeting held in the capital on Thursday, says a press release.

In the meeting, it was informed that about 1.20 lakh child labourers, which are 48 per cent of total workforce, engaged in 7,500 garment factories in Keraniganj, outskirt of the capital to meet the domestic needs of the country.

In 95pc of these factories children work in extremely hazardous conditions and earned some Tk 5,000 to Tk 16,000 per month on average. These children who work in these factories are mostly from poor families and have been sent there to earn and support their families.

Chairman of BLF Abdus Salam Khan, BLF Secretary General ZM Kamrul Anam, Assistant Inspector General (Health) of Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) Dr Dipa Datta, Head of Bangla Department of Bangladesh News Agency Ruhul Gani Jyoti, President of Labor Rights Journalist Forum Kazi Abdul Hannan and General Secretary Ataur Rahman, were present at the meeting, among others.

BLF programme officer Mahmudul Hasan Khan presented a video and original article of child labourers in Keraniganj, Dhaka at the meeting.

NY