Freeing Children From Hazardous Jobs ILO eyes other sectors after Kushtia success
After an initial success in freeing children from tobacco factories in Kushtia, the ILO (International Labour Organisation) is going to launch a 10-year 'time bound' project to eliminate child labour from the hazardous job.With its prime target to eliminate child labour from tobacco factories and consolidate the success attained under its three-year programme, the new project will also cover other sectors to take children out of risky jobs across the country.
It will be formally announced soon and work will begin from January after signing of agreements with relevant government departments, according to ILO sources in Dhaka and some NGOs here which implemented the just concluded ILO projects on child labour.
The three-year ILO project concluded in May in Kushtia, the main tobacco growing area in the country.
Feasibility studies are being done to fix targets under the 10-year project, the sources said.
Six ILO Social Monitors who monitored the earlier project may be re-appointed. Their number may be increased, the sources said.
The possibility of a new ILO project has generated hopes among different stakeholders including child workers still in tobacco and Bidi factories in Kushtia.
It was made known to them on the eve of the International Day Against Child Labour-2005, celebrated by former bidi factory workers here with different programmes amid festivities on Sunday.
The programmes, held in Daulatpur and Kushtia, also joined by parents of former bidi factory children, included rallies, colourful processions and discussion meetings to highlight 'successful completion' of ILO's three-year project styled PEWFCL (Preventing and Eliminating the Worst Forms Child Labour), launched in 2001.
The United States Department of Labour (USDOL) funded the project.
Under this project, about 3000 children were taken out of eight big tobacco factories in Kushtia and Daulatpur. They have been enrolled in schools. At least 2000 children are still working in Bidi factories in the two districts.
Hailing the ILO activities and its new 10-year programme, about 1500 children brought out colourful processions, formed human chains, followed by discussion meetings.
A large number of parents of the children also participated in the programme. They thanked the ILO for bringing change in their life.
The rallies were organised by three local NGOs--SETU, BTUK (Bangladesh Trade Union Kendro) and PIPASAwho implemented ILO's three-year programme.
Over 500 children, joined by labourers from tobacco factories and transport and construction sectors, took part in the rally held in Kushtia town. It was organised by BTUK.
After the rally, a seminar on the 'Role of Labourers in Eliminating Child Labour' was held at the Kushtia office of BTUK.
With tobacco workers' leader Amirul Islam in the chair, the seminar was addressed by Rafiqul Islam, president of Kushtia district unit of Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB); Ahasan Naban, Assistant Programme Coordinator of BTUK; Udichi secretary Samar Roy; and labour leaders Toriqul Islam Lal, Saad Ali, Nazim Uddin and Noor Uddin.
Another rally was held and a human chain formed at Daulatpur, organising by SETU. About 1000 children participated in the programmes, followed by a discussion meeting, held at Daulatpur upazila auditorium with local Union Parishad leader Saidur Rahman in the chair.
The discussants included Daulatpur UNO Nazrul Islam, Agriculture Officer Golam Murtoza, ILO Social Monitor Jaganmoy Projesh Biswas and SETU Assistant Programme Coordinator Jasim Uddin Akhand.They thanked the ILO for its great job in taking out children from bidi factories and urged all concerned to eliminate child labour from tobacco sector. Children should also be removed from hazardous jobs in match factories and tanneries, they said.
Children taken out of bidi factories at a rally in Daulatpur, Kushtia on Sunday hail ILO programmes aimed at eliminating child labour also from other hazardous sectors. PHOTO: SK Enamul Haq
By: http://www.thedailystar.net/