Government and non-government representatives on Tuesday called for the urgent enactment of a specific law to protect the rights and ensure the safety of child domestic workers, highlighting a major gap in the current legal framework.
They made the demand at a dialogue titled 鈥楾he Need for a Specific Law to Ensure the Rights and Protection of Child Domestic Workers鈥� held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
The event was jointly organised by the Law Commission, Action for Social Development, Shapla Neer, and Educo-Bangladesh, according to a press release.
Law Commission chairperson Justice Zinat Ara attended the event as the chief guest.
Presided over by ASD executive director MA Karim, the session was addressed, among others, by Law Commission research officer Mosammat Monira Sultana, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers鈥� Association advise advocate Salma Ali, Syeda Munira Sultana of ILO Bangladesh, Shapla Neer country director Tamako Uchiayama, Educo Bangladesh country director Abdul Hamid and UNICEF Bangladesh鈥檚 child protection specialist Shabnaz Zahreen, said the release.
In his keynote paper, child protection expert Sharafuddin Khan stated that Bangladesh was committed to eliminating hazardous child labour by 2025 under the Sustainable Development Goals.
However, child domestic workers continue to face routine abuse, including physical violence and exploitation, indicating an urgent need for a rights-based legal framework and its proper implementation, he said.
Justice Zinat Ara said that child labour was unacceptable anywhere in the world and undermined the humanity and dignity of children.
She warned that without eliminating child labour, society鈥檚 claim to being civilised would be questionable.
ASD Executive Director MA Karim emphasised the need for a concerted effort from the government and development organisations to protect these vulnerable children.
He reiterated the government鈥檚 pledge under the SDGs to eradicate all forms of child labour by 2025, calling for modern, practical legislation to safeguard the rights of domestic child workers.