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Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Bangladesh (RATIFICATION: 2001)

Article 6 of the Convention. Programmes of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. 1. National Plan of Action (NPA) for Suppression and Prevention of Human Trafficking 2018–2022. The Committee notes the Government’s information that it has implemented two National Plan of Actions for Combating Human Trafficking during 2012 to 2014 and 2015 to 2017 and has adopted a new NPA for 2018 to 2022. This NPA focuses on five areas of action, namely (1) prevention of human trafficking; (2) holistic protection of trafficking victims; (3) prosecution of traffickers; (4) partnership and cross-country legal assistance; and (5) monitoring and evaluation. The Committee also notes from the document on the new NPA to Eliminate Child Labour 2020-2025 that the NPA on Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking 2018-2022 addresses the issue of child trafficking. It recognizes the special protections needed for children both vulnerable to and victims of trafficking. It has also promoted child participation in the partnership cluster by including child representatives in the Counter-Trafficking Committees (CTCs). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the specific measures taken within the framework of the NPA on Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking 2018-2022 to eliminate trafficking of children and the results achieved.

2. Projects on elimination of hazardous child labour. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the various measures undertaken within the framework of the National Plan of Action on Child Labour (NPA) 2012-16, including the adoption of policies on occupational safety and health and on the protection of domestic workers; the adoption of the list of hazardous types of work; and the organization of workshops and seminars on different aspects of the elimination of child labour. The Committee, however, noted that according to the National Child Labour Survey (NCLS) of 2015, out of 3.45 million child labourers aged 5 to 17 years, 1.7 million are considered engaged in child labour, among which 1.28 million children are engaged in hazardous work, in sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, and more. Among the 1.28 million children engaged in hazardous work, 32,808 are in the 6–11 age group, 38,766 in the 12–13 age group, and 1,208,620 in the 14–17 age group. The Committee therefore urged the Government to continue its efforts to combat hazardous child labour in the country.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Eradication of Hazardous Child Labour Project in Bangladesh has completed its three phases and the fourth phase is in progress. Within this project, 90 thousand children have been withdrawn from child labour through non-formal education, skills development training and the socio-economic empowerment of their parents. The fourth phase has a target to remove 100,000 children from hazardous work. The Committee also notes the Government’s information that a new NPA to Eliminate Child Labour 2020-2025 has been drafted drawing up actions relevant to address child labour from the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation plan of the Government.

According to the NPA document (2020–2025), this National Plan of Action aims to eliminate the worst forms of child labour by 2021 and all forms of child labour by 2025, through focussing on five objectives, namely: (i) reducing vulnerability to child labour; (ii) withdrawing children from hazardous work and the worst forms of child labour; (iii) increased capacity to protect children at the workplace; (iv) partnership and multi-sectoral engagement; and (v) monitoring and evaluation of NPA implementation. The Committee also notes from this document that in addition to the currently listed hazardous child labour, this NPA shall set priority on six additional manifestations of child labour, namely; child domestic worker; child labour in the dry fish sector; children working on the street; stone collection, carrying and crushing (brick production, stone collection, brick and stone carrying and breaking); child labour in informal/local tailoring and clothing sectors; and children working in garbage picking and waste disposal (collection, carrying, sorting and waste disposal/management). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the adoption and implementation of the NPA to Eliminate Child Labour 2020-2025, including the concrete measures taken to eliminate the worst forms of child labour and the results achieved. It also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the specific measures adopted and the results achieved through the implementation of other projects, such as the Eradication of Hazardous Child Labour project.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. In its previous comments, while noting that there was an increase in the net enrolment rate at the primary level and a decrease in the drop-out rate at the secondary level, the Committee noted with concern that the enrolment at the secondary level had significantly decreased, going down from 72.95 per cent in 2010 to 54.50 per cent in 2016. The Committee also observed that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, expressed concern about the limited implementation of the National Education Policy due to the lack of adequate resources (CRC/C/BDG/CO/5, para. 66); and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, expressed concern that the number of girls in school drops by half between the primary and secondary levels of education owing, among other things, to child marriage, sexual harassment, the low value placed on girls’ education, poverty and the long distances to schools in rural and marginalized communities (CEDAW/C/BGD/CO/8, para. 28(a)). 

The Committee notes the Government’s information that the country has almost achieved universal primary education in terms of enrolment with the gross and net enrolment rates reaching 104.90 per cent and 97.81 per cent, respectively in 2020. The primary education completion rates also increased from 60.2 per cent in 2010 to 82.80 per cent in 2020, while the drop-out rates reduced from 39.8 per cent to 17.20 per cent. The Government states that it is continuing its efforts by undertaking different policies and measures in order to achieve the SDG 4 of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all by 2030. These measures include: (i) the Reaching out of School Project, under which, 25,000 students received pre-vocational training and almost 720,000 children undertook basic education; (ii) a School feeding programme which is provided to 3 million children; and (iii) a Stipend and kits allowance which is made available to around 14 million children. In addition, 1,495 new schools were established in villages, and various infrastructure developments essential for education were constructed. The Government further states that through the Primary Education Development Programme under the Bureau of Non-Formal education, one million out of school children, both boys and girls, will benefit from non-formal primary education. Moreover, the Child Protection and Monitoring Project of 2017-2021, which has been extended up to December 2022, aims to create an enabling environment for boys and girls of primary school age, especially from hard to reach and vulnerable areas.

The Committee further notes from the UNICEF document of 2021 that the schooling rates for girls in Bangladesh have increased rapidly over the last two decades. Furthermore, according to the Education Sector Analysis for Bangladesh, 2020 by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), there has been a substantial improvement in the enrolment of girls and boys in secondary education with girls surpassing boys. The transition of primary completers to secondary education is around 95 per cent. The net enrolment rate was about two-thirds of the designated secondary school age-group (11–15 years) and just over one-third of the higher secondary age group (16–17 years) in 2018. The rates of completion have lagged at just over one-third of the enrolled for secondary and one-fifth at the higher secondary stage. Considering that education is key in preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee strongly encourages the Government to continue its efforts to provide access to free basic education for all children, thereby ensuring enrolment and retention of students both in primary and secondary education. The Committee also requests the Government to continue providing updated statistical data on school enrolment and drop-out rates, disaggregated by age and gender.

Clause (d). Children at special risk. 1. Street children. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MOWCA) operates two shelters and outreach schools for street children through a program named “Street Children Rehabilitation Program”. This program has provided shelter to 4623 street children and non-formal education to 5157 street children through nine outreach schools. In the rehabilitation centre, street children are provided with shelter, food, clothing, non-formal education, psycho social counselling, and healthcare. The Committee, however, notes from a UNICEF report of 2020 entitled “For many in Bangladesh, staying home isn’t an option” that hundreds of thousands of children are living on the streets in Bangladesh. Recalling that street children are at particular risk of becoming engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect street children from the worst forms of child labour and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken and the results achieved in this respect.

2. Refugee children. The Committee notes from a report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime of March 2020 that Cox’s Bazar (refugee camp) is considered as one of the hotspots for human trafficking in Bangladesh, and the Bay of Bengal is a major trafficking route by sea. This report also indicates that according to a report of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), human trafficking is on the rise in the sprawling 6,000-acre refugee camp with more than 350 cases identified in 2019, approximately 15 per cent of which involved children. The Committee requests the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect refugee children from the worst forms of child labour. It also requests the Government to provide information on the concrete measures taken and the results achieved in this regard.

Article 8. International cooperation and assistance. 1. Trafficking. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that it took initiatives to halt cross-border human trafficking through the coordination and cooperation of the Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Integration (RRRI) Task Forces in Bangladesh and India and that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was developed in this regard. It also noted that considering the prevalence of trafficking in Bangladesh and India, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the two countries.

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report under the Forced Labour Convention (1939) (No. 29) that in 2020, the Border Guards rescued 191 children while being trafficked abroad through different bordering areas. This report also indicates that the RRRI Task Force has established a Child Affairs Desk and assigned Child Affairs Police Officers in every police station throughout the country. Training on Child Affairs Desk Skills were provided to 1,785 officials. The Committee also notes from a news release of 2019 of the IOM entitled “Human Trafficking in the coastal belt”, that human trafficking is a major challenge in Bangladesh, with the coastal belt and the borders along India being some of the most vulnerable locations. This news release also refers to a study by border security forces, 2018, which suggests that over 50,000 women and children are trafficked to India each year. The study says that there is a network of touts, agents, and sub-agents who lure people into danger by promising better lives abroad. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to combat the trans-border trafficking of children, including within the framework of the MoU as well as by the Border Guards and the RRRI Task Force and on the measures taken to ensure their rescue, repatriation and rehabilitation.

2. Elimination of poverty. Following its previous comments, the Committee takes note of the Government’s detailed information regarding the proportion of the budget which was allocated to social protection and social empowerment programmes, as well as the plans and policies it has adopted to reduce poverty. According to the Government’s report, various programmes are being implemented as part of the National Social Security Strategy (NSSS), including Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar (one household one farm), Ahsrayan (shelter) Project, and Grehayan (Housing) Project. Furthermore, specific measures for children have been included in the NSSS, such as the introduction of allowances for abandoned children, orphans and for children below 4 years from poor families; the school tiffin system; and the establishment of child centres. The Social Safety Net Program of the MOWCA has introduced the Vulnerable Group Development programme, through which about 1,040,000 ultra-poor households receive monthly food rations and development support services, including life skills and income generating skills training for a cycle of two years. Noting that poverty reduction programmes contribute towards breaking the cycle of poverty, which is essential for eliminating the worst forms of child labour, the Committee strongly encourages the Government to continue taking the necessary measures to ensure that the NSSS, the Social Safety Net Program, and all other such initiatives, are implemented in such a way as to step up the process of elimination of the worst forms of child labour in Bangladesh. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the progress made in this respect and the results achieved.