The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The formation of a national policy for elimination of child labour is at the final stage, against the backdrop of 3.2 million working children in the country at present.

"The National Policy for Elimination of Child Labour will come into force the next month," Labour and Employment Secretary Dr Mahfuzul Haq said while presiding over a seminar in the city yesterday on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour.

The theme of the day this year is "Education is right response to child labour".

The seminar on 'Child Labour and Education' was jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education with the cooperation of ILO, UNICEF and UNESCO at Sheraton Hotel here.

Secretary of Primary and Mass Education Ministry M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Bangladesh Employers' Federation Secretary General C.K. Hyder, NCCWE Representative Dr Wahedul Islam Khan, UNESCO Bangladesh Director Malama Meleisea, UNICEF Country Representative David Bassiouni, and ILO Dhaka Director Panudda Boonpala, among others, addressed the seminar.

The seminar was told that there are 218 million child labourers between the age of five and 17 in the world. Of them, 126 million are performing dangerous tasks or working in hazardous conditions.

Besides, at least 72 million primary-age children are not enrolled in school globally, while the number of such children in Bangladesh is 8.6 million.

In his address, Mahfuzul Haq said the government is pledge- bound to eliminate child labour and implement education programme for the children.

Along with the government, 30 non-government organisations are also working to withdraw children from hazardous jobs, he added.

The labour secretary said child labour monitoring cell would be introduced by September to expedite child labour elimination and ensure rights of the children.

An ILO research report presented in the seminar said investment in education sector is a very positive decision. Bringing children in education from work is profitable, both socially and economically.

A one-year additional education for a 14-year - old child can enhance income by 11 per cent in future, the report said.

The ILO representative said different ILO programmes are going on in 88 countries to help 430,000 child labourers. Of them, 203,000 children were withdrawn from work.