Children as a Source of Labour

                   Children as a Source of Labour

Child labour is very common in Bangladesh. The incidence of child labour is not new in our country. It is prevalent mostly in the rural setting of Bangladesh as a normal socialization process. In the rural areas , children have worked and still work alongside their parents in the field for the survival of the family.It has unfortunately become  to be an integral part of life there and over the years. Child labour is regarded as quite a regular practice now. The majority of people fail to recognize the adverse effects which may come about on the children’s way to development if they spend all the time at work and do not get  time to attend school or enjoy some recreation with children of their early age.

According to  Save the Children report 2014 around 63% of the slum dwelling children in in the capital have no birth registration ,12% children do hazardous jobs while 9% beg, mostly 80% girl children the slum fall victims to early marriage while 47% ones are going school.(The Daily Star may 23 ,2014 )

Involvement of children in work at an early age leads to physical and mental problems. Working children suffer significant growth deficits as compared with school children. They grow up shorter and lighter, and their body size continues to be smaller even in adulthood. Poor working conditions make them more vulnerable than their adult colleagues to infectious diseases, injuries and other workplace-related ailments.

Moreover,Child domestic workers are often found to be victims of verbal and sexual abuse, beating or punishment by starvation. Children engaged  in marginal economic activities in the streets, are exposed to drugs, violence and criminal activities, physical and sexual abuse in many parts of the country.

Child labour is a denial of the right to enjoy childhood and achieve full physical and psychological development. Worse still, many hundreds of children are trapped in forced labour, debt bondage, prostitution and other kinds of jobs that cause lasting and devastating damage. Employers are tempted to hire child labour because children are much less aware of their rights and most unlikely to get organized in trade unions. They are also more trustworthy, more willing to take orders and do monotonous work.

 

Child domestic service is a widespread practice in our country. Consequently boys often perform tasks like going to the grocery, cleaning the drain, taking the garbage to roadside bins, escorting the children to school and washing the car. Girls, on the other hand, have to iron the clothes, attend selling flowers and serve the guests.

It is a bad sign that the children are being dropped away from their academic education because of their involvement as child-laborers. They cannot manage time to go to the playground. Children of this kind have greater risks of confronting physical disability, mental lethargy, accident or death.

 

Sajedul Islam khan

University of Dhaka

Mobile no:01710129672

 

 

Author's Note

This is my first writing.So i personally believe that i have something mistakes.if i have any mistake please let me know .

Reviews

[SamanthaMarie]

Really sad and important topic you have here. I wasn't aware that child labor was such a big issue in Bangladesh. I think you touched on some very heartbreaking topics such as children not only being laborers but working in unmoral jobs due to their innocence. Your presentation of the material is a little rough and could use some reorganizing. Honestly I would redirect this to focus on how child labor is involved in those strong and scary subjects, the unmoral ones, because those are going to get people’s attention. Not only is child labor wrong but what you said about children being more susceptible to the prostitution or street hawkers or maids due to their having to probably take the jobs the adults don't want and the children are more persuadable is a very real issue. This is our next generation and I definitely think this needs some voice. Good writing!