As we observed World Day Against Child Labour yesterday, we were reminded yet again of just how far behind we are in terms of eradicating child labour in Bangladesh. No measure of economic growth can ever justify or conceal the fact that child labour in the country is rampant and around two million children are engaged in child labour.

This is despite Bangladesh being a signatory to a number of international instruments that aim to protect the rights of children and having passed domestic laws and policies that prohibit child labour.

The Labour Act 2006 specifies that the minimum age of employment is 14 and the government has even declared a number of sectors as hazardous for children. But countless children way below 14 are engaged in some of the worst forms of child labour in many of the aforementioned sectors, leaving them exposed to physical, economic and sexual exploitation.

Because of the fact that child labour is largely driven by economic reasons, children from low socioeconomic backgrounds are often forced to work in dangerous conditions as welders, bus conductors, domestic help, tanners, etc., putting their lives in serious jeopardy. These children are not only being deprived of a childhood but also being robbed of their future with no scope to acquire a proper education and the skills needed to exit the cycle of familial poverty.

An overall nonchalant attitude towards child labour and the lack of implementation of existing laws and policies make it extremely difficult to reduce – let alone eradicate – child labour in Bangladesh. Without proper enforcement of the law and a zero-tolerance policy towards child labour, the Bangladesh government will fail to live up to its commitment to protect one of the most vulnerable segments of the population.