DHAKA, June 11, 2021 (BSS) – President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon all concerned including private organisations, media, national and international agencies alongside the government to play a further effective role in making institutional and non-institutional sectors free from child labour.
They made the call in separate messages on the eve of the World Day Against Child Labour.
In his message, President Abdul Hamid said this year the World Day Against Child Labour bears special significance as the United Nations has declared the year 2021 as International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.
He said child labour is a national problem. There is no alternative to make children as able citizens of the country ensuring their welfare in building a developed and prosperous Bangladesh, he said.
The President said that is why proper upbringing of children should be ensured providing them compulsory education after eliminating child labour.
Bangladesh is celebrating golden jubilee of independence and birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman this year, he said.
So, it is time to take up proper programmes to ensure all-out flourishing of the children, he said.
Abdul Hamid said the government has fixed a target to eliminate hazardous child labour by 2021 with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make the country free from all kinds of child labour by 2025.
The government is pledge-bound at national and international arena in eliminating child labor, he said.
He said Bangladesh has ratified the UN charter on child rights, the ILO convention on prevention and elimination of hazardous child labour.
The government has fixed child labour elimination as one of the indexes to achieve economic growth relating SDGs.
It has been included in the agenda of National Action Plan on Labour Sector of Bangladesh formulated with United Nations Periodical Review (UPR), European Union, he said.
Abdul Hamid said the government has formulated National Child Labour Elimination Policy in 2010 to prevent child labour.
The President said the government has published the list of hazardous jobs for children and formulated the national action plan in implementing the policy.
In a separate message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is pledge-bound to ensure education, safety and sound health of the country’s future generation or children.
The premier said Bangladesh has ratified the United Nations charter on child rights, the ILO convention on prevention and elimination of hazardous child labour.
“We have formulated the National Child Labour Elimination Policy-2010 to prevent child labour,” she said.
She said the country will have to be freed from all kinds of child labour by 2025 to achieve SDGs.
The tenure of National Action Plan has been specified till 2025 ahead of SDG, she added.
She said National Child Labour Welfare Council has been working to implement the action plan.
The government has formulated Domestic Worker Protection and Welfare Policy 2015 to ensure rights of children working as household activities, she said.
She said the Labour and Employment Ministry has been working to strengthen the capacity of divisional, district and upazila committees in eliminating child labour.
Eight sectors have so far been declared as child labour free, she said, adding that a list of 38 types of hazardous jobs for children has been published after identification and the efforts are underway to update the list while children are being withdrawn from hazardous jobs and given vocational and technical education.
The prime minister called upon private organisations, individuals, national and international agencies, development associates, research institutions, civil society, media, owners and workers associations alongside the government to play a further effective role in eliminating child labour and making their wellbeing.
The President and the Prime Minister wished success of all programmes marking the World Day Against Child Labour.