The guardians of most of the child workers engaged in the transport sector and house helps do not have any idea about the labour law and concerned policy. Mohammad Sharif, a third grader student, earns Taka 200 per day which helps his family to make its living. Sharif, along with his four brothers and sisters, has to earn the living for his family with his mere income of Taka 6,000 per month. But, his poor father and mother do not know about the labour law which prohibits child labour.

Being informed by a passenger that such kind of child labour is prohibited, Sharif said that he has to work to assist his guardians and like him there are many more child workers in the country who have to work to earn their living. According to the research findings of an NGO named ‘EDUCO’ which used to work with child rights, most of the child transport workers work in the human haulers plying on 31 routes in the capital.

Some 1068 child workers aged between 8-13 work in some 1,642 human haulers and most of them are not aware of the concerned labour law and policy. But, the owners of these human haulers appoint these child workers despite the negative impacts of this kind of transport work. Country Director of EDUCO Jonny M Sarker said it is possible to bring positive change among the lives of the child workers through concerted efforts between the government and the NGOs.

He said the government would implement a Taka 284 crore project to eradicate child work in the country which aims to rehabilitate some one lakh child workers from their risky nature of job.

The research findings showed that around 68.49 percent of the child transport workers are subjected to repression by the vehicle owners and also by the passengers. Besides, 64.4 per cent of the child transport workers were in the risk of physical injury while 36.99 per cent of such workers were suffering from depression.

Most of these child transport workers work in the human haulers and their owners appoint them since it becomes costly to appoint adult transport workers. Afzal Hossain, a research official of Educo opined that an effective monitoring system should be in place so that such child workers cannot engage in such risky and hazardous work.

He said around 68.49 per cent of the child transport workers are subjected to verbal abuse, 17.14 per cent of child workers become victim of physical torture, while 35.51 per cent of the child transport workers were suffering from mental problem.

The research findings also showed that around 58.73 per cent of the child house-helps did never go to school while 82.68 per cent of the child transport workers did never go to school. The findings also showed that most of the guardians of these child workers do not have any idea about the concerned law prohibiting child labour.

But, most the employers have necessary knowledge on restriction over child labour. No employment generation initiative was found in the research to help the guardians of the child workers while it was also found that no stipend or donation was provided to the child workers to return back them to the schools.

Former State Minister for Labour and Employment Md Mujibul Huq said, “We’ll have to start work from our home to eliminate child labour. It’s not possible to eliminate child labour through only enacting law and framing policies. Rather, people from all walks of life including the policy makers and law enforcement agencies need to come forward with positive mindset to this end.”