Parvez Ahmed, an 11-year-old boy, works in the canteen of Kabi Jasimuiddin Hall, Dhaka University. His job is to serve food, clean leftovers, pour waters into jars and wash dishes. His day start at 6 am and ends at 11 pm at night. After work, he has to sleep on a canteen table. There is no weekly holiday or any special day of fun for him.

Besides accommodation and food, he is paid a monthly wage of Tk 2,900, which he sends to his father, a poor farmer. Like all other children of his age, he too wants to go to school and to play with friends.

Like him, more than a hundred employees of the university's residential halls, canteens, messes and shops are under 12-15 years in age. The irony is that these children work in one of the country’s most reputed educational institutions but are unable to go to school and are being denied educational opportunities.

Bangladesh’s Children Act designates anyone under the age of 18 as children and the Labour Law 2006 does not permit children below the age of 14 to work.

The Labour Law also states that children between 14 and 18 years can be given light and hazard-free jobs. But there has been no initiative on the part of the DU authorities to deal with the problem of child labour and ensure the development of these children's lives.

Social Affairs Secretary of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Akter Hossain said, “Basically, they are not being forced to work here. Since they do not get any support from their families, they don't have any choice. If they leave this place, they'll find work somewhere else.

 And there is no guarantee that those places would be safer. As this problem cannot be solved immediately, I, with the other social affairs secretary of the hall parliament, will try to increase their salary allowance, ensure job assurance, primary education and the improvement of their daily lives.”

Dean of the Law Faculty and Provost of Poet Jasimuddin Hall Professor Dr Rahmatullah said, "The university or the hall administration didn’t appointed them. The students of this university are forced to stay in inhuman places such as the 'Gana-Room' (mass room) in the absence of residential facilities. There is no scope to make different residential arrangements for those workers. But we will try as much we can to improve their lives to make them a little more comfortable."

 University Proctor Professor Dr Golam Rabbani said, "The university authorities do not recruit them. But we are concerned about this and will talk with the hall authorities."      

According to a survey done by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, as of 2015, the country had some 3.45 million active child labourers.

The report also said 1.2 million children were engaged in hazardous jobs in Bangladesh.

BK