The COVID-19 pandemic has not hit Bangladesh as harshly as some other parts of the world in terms of infections and deaths but it has generated a profound negative economic impact on the country.
Wreaking havoc on family incomes COVID-19 has resulted in a rise in poverty and therefore to an increase in child labour as households use every available means to survive.
There is no denying that Bangladesh has made great strides in reducing child labour but the pandemic has worsened the situation plunging millions of children into child labour.
The government should address the
issue of child labour amid the pandemic
from all possible sides
It needs no emphasising that child labour reinforces cycles of poverty. Children who are trapped in child labour are deprived of their childhood, health and education. Experts are of the opinion that poverty, wrong implementation of laws and child right acts, lack of social security and mass-consciousness are the main reasons pushing millions of our children to give labour to earn their livelihood and help their family.
It is disconcerting to note that in Bangladesh, we don’t have any comprehensive public arrangement to address child labour. On top of that, a lack of sufficient support services for children prevents full implementation of existing government laws and policies.
We cannot rebut that Bangladesh has been integrating several policies to end child labour and protect child right. We hope that the government will strictly implement existing laws and provisions to put the opportunist employers who engage children to avail benefit of cheap labour behind the bar.
The government should address the issue of child labour amid the pandemic from all possible sides. This pandemic allows the country an opportunity to address the issue of widespread child labour with redesigned policy interventions. It is time to come together to fight on behalf of the betterment of our children.