Minister calls for unified effort against exploitative child labor practices

B Mirror Desk:

Labor Minister Bir Muktijoddha Nazrul Islam Chowdhury emphasized the necessity of creating a social movement to eradicate child labor. He made these remarks while participating in a divisional workshop on child labor elimination held in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The Minister highlighted Bangladesh’s commitment to the welfare and rights protection of its labor force after gaining independence. He noted that Bangladesh ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions in 1972 and has since aligned its efforts with international laws and regulations to combat child labor. The government has issued gazette notifications banning child labor in 43 sectors.

Minister Nazrul Islam Chowdhury further stated that the Ministry of Labour and Employment has allocated Tk 2,844.9 crore through its “Bangladesh Child Labor Elimination (Phase IV)” project. This initiative aims to provide six months of informal education and four months of skills development training to one lakh children. He urged all levels of society to sincerely engage in efforts to eliminate child labor alongside government initiatives.

The workshop, chaired by Commissioner Sabirul Islam, was attended by Secretary Mahbub Alam and Director General of the Department of Labour, Tarikul Alam, among other high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Representatives from various international organizations, NGOs, and stakeholders from employers and workers were also present.

This workshop underscores Bangladesh’s ongoing efforts and commitment to combatting child labor through comprehensive national policies and collaborative efforts across different sectors.