Published: 10:18 AM, 15 June 2026
Call for bigger budget to end child labour
Hazardous child labour remains a serious social and human rights concern in Bangladesh. According to the National Child Labour Survey 2022 conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), around 3.54 million children in the country are engaged in labour, of whom approximately 1.07 million are involved in hazardous work.
These children are employed in dangerous sectors such as construction, workshops, transportation, agriculture, domestic work and waste collection.
As a result, they are deprived of education, exposed to severe physical and mental health risks and denied the opportunity to develop into skilled human resources in the future. This ultimately causes long-term harm to individuals, families and the nation as a whole.
Against this backdrop, Young Women for Development, Rights and Climate (YWDRC) and Nari Unnayan Shakti (NUS) on Saturday organized a discussion meeting titled “Increasing Budget Allocation for the Elimination of Hazardous Child Labour.”
The event was supported by the Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum, Textile Garments Workers Federation, Domestic Workers Employers Association Bangladesh and Forum for Culture and Human Development. The keynote paper was presented by Nusrat Sultana Afroze, Executive Chairperson of YWDRC. She stated that poverty, unemployment, limited access to education, the impacts of climate change and social inequality are among the major drivers of child labour in Bangladesh. She emphasized that increased investment in family-based economic support, education, skills development and social protection programmes is essential to eliminate hazardous child labour.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Afroza Parvin, Executive Director of Nari Unnayan Shakti. She noted that eliminating child labour is not solely a labour-sector issue; it is closely linked to child rights, education, healthcare and social justice. Therefore, adequate budget allocation must be ensured for the rescue, rehabilitation, education and skills development of children engaged in hazardous labour.
The chief guest of the event was Bir Muktijoddha and labour leader Abdul Hossain, President of the Textile Garments Workers Federation. He stated that child labour cannot be eliminated without increasing the income of working-class families and expanding social safety net programmes. Special guests included Khairuzzaman Kamal, Vice-President of Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum and Executive Director of Bangladesh Human Rights Journalists Forum; Nasima Haque, General Secretary of Domestic Workers Employers Association Bangladesh; Syed Anisur Rahman, Migration Adviser to Nari Unnayan Shakti; and Abdul Momin, Executive Member of Forum for Culture and Human Development.
Representing marginalized communities, Hasi Akter highlighted that many families are compelled to send their children to work due to extreme poverty and lack of employment opportunities. She stressed that hazardous child labour could be significantly reduced by ensuring income-generating opportunities and support for vulnerable families.
