38,000 children across Bangladesh in hazardous job: BBS

A Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics survey has found that 38,006 children, aged between 5 and 17 years, were working in five hazardous sectors across the country.

The BBS conducted the survey titled ‘Establishment-based Sector-wise Working Children Survey-2023’ in five out of 43 sectors declared hazardous by the government’.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics disseminated the final reports titled ‘National Child Labour Survey 2022’ and ‘Establishment Based Sector Wise Working Children Survey 2023’ at an event held at the BBS office on Thursday.

Among the five sectors, 24,923 children work in automobile workshops while 5,281 children in the leather shoe industry, 4,099 in welding or gas burner mechanic workshop, 2,805 in local tailoring or garment stitching and 898 involved in dry fish production, according to the Establishment-based Sector-wise Working Children Survey, conducted in June 2023.

Among all working children in these sectors, 35.7 per cent reside in rural areas while 64.3 per cent live in urban areas.

The number of children engaged in child labour in Bangladesh increased to 17.76 lakh in 2022 from 16.98 lakh in 2013, according to the National Child Labour Survey 2022.  

 According to the National Child Labour Survey, there are 3.99 crore children, including over 3 crore rural children, aged 5-17 in the country. 

Among the children 35.36 lakh are working children with 17.76 lakh girl children.

The survey involved a sample of 30,816 households, from 1,284 Primary Sampling Units in 64 districts.

Regarding the rise, Salma Ali, the co-chair of the National Child Labour Monitoring Committee, said that a lack of monitoring in factories and parents involving their children in labour due to poverty are among the reasons for the increase. 

There was 34.81 per cent school attendance rate in 2022, the survey found.

The findings revealed 99 per cent of child workers are employed informally, which is alarming as they were not under any official contracts.

Of the working children, 10.79 lakh were engaged in agriculture, constituting 30.5 per cent of the total, followed by 8.96 lakh engaged in manufacture sector and 7.21 lakh involved in wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles. 

Their average monthly income was Tk 6,675. 

 Over the years, four national surveys have been conducted, in 1995, 2002-2003, 2013, and the latest in 2022. The surveys are crucial to addressing the growing social concern surrounding child labour and fulfilling national and international commitments to tackle the issues.

State minister for planning Shahiduzzaman Sarker was present at the event as chief guest. Statistics and Informatics Division secretary Shahnaz Arefin, deputy high commissioner and development director of British high commission Matt Cannell and ILO country director Tuomo Poutiainen also attended the event.