Survey Reveals Disturbing Reality: Over 38,000 Children Engaged in Hazardous Labour Across Bangladesh

Last Updated on March 14, 2024 11:24 am

The latest survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has uncovered a troubling truth: 38,008 children, between the ages of 5 to 17, are toiling away in hazardous sectors across the nation.

Released today (14 March), the Child Labor Survey 2023 sheds light on the grim reality faced by these children, with a staggering 97.5% of them being male.

While the government has officially recognized 43 sectors as hazardous, the survey chose to focus on five key areas known for their prevalence of child labor and the urgent need for intervention.

These sectors, including fish, crab, and shellfish drying and processing; footwear production, especially within the leather shoe industry; iron and steel casting; maintenance and repair of motor vehicles; and the repair of personal and household goods, have become hotspots for child exploitation.

Alarmingly, automobile workshops emerge as the top employers of child laborers, with a shocking total of 24,923 children trapped in this sector’s clutches.

The survey paints a bleak picture, with 5,281 children toiling away in the leather shoe industry, 4,099 engaged in welding or gas burner mechanic jobs, 2,805 in informal and local tailoring or garment sectors, and 898 children enduring the harsh conditions of dried fish production.

Geographically, 35.7% of these child laborers are based in rural areas, while the remaining 64.3% are located in urban settings, highlighting the pervasive nature of this issue across Bangladesh.

Disturbingly, the survey also reveals the dangerous tasks these children are forced to undertake, with 19.1% of boys and 7.7% of girls involved in carrying heavy loads or pulling goods, and around 8.1% of boys and 0.3% of girls working at great heights or from the floor.

Conducted with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the survey aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the situation of child labor within these hazardous sectors.

The data collection, undertaken from 3 June to 14 June in 2023, serves as a wake-up call, urging immediate action to protect the rights and well-being of these vulnerable children across Bangladesh.