Child labour remains a pressing crisis globally. According to estimates by the ILO and UNICEF, as of 2024, around 138 million children were engaged in labour, with approximately 54 million involved in hazardous tasks that endanger their health and development. Agriculture continues to account for the majority of cases, representing 61 per cent of all child labour. These figures speak to a systemic global failure, but the crisis is particularly pronounced in countries like Bangladesh, where informal economies thrive without regulation or oversight.
In Bangladesh, the 2022 National Child Labour Survey paints a grim picture. Among the country鈥檚 39.9 million children aged between 5 and 17, 3.54 million 鈥� roughly 8.9 per cent 鈥� are engaged in some form of work. Of these, 1.78 million qualify as being involved in child labour, representing a 4.5 per cent increase since the last comparable survey in 2013. Even more concerning, over one million children are engaged in hazardous work. Although this number has decreased by 16.5 per cent since 2003, the prevalence remains unacceptable. These numbers, however, are based on national legal frameworks that still do not fully align with international standards 鈥� particularly regarding age thresholds and the definition of hazardous labour.
One of the most telling examples of the child labour crisis lies in Keraniganj, a rapidly industrializing area across the Buriganga River from Dhaka. Over the last two decades, Keraniganj has become a major hub for informal ready-made garment production, with more than 7,500 unregistered units operating largely out of sight. These makeshift garment factories produce clothing for local markets and low-end exports, often operating from cramped residential buildings that escape both registration and inspection. In this grey economy, children work silently and invisibly 鈥� some estimates suggest that out of the 300,000 to 400,000 workers in Keraniganj, a significant portion (more than 1,500) are children under the age of 14.
These children endure gruelling 13-16 hour workdays as helpers, ironers, finishers, and even machine operators. Exposed to chemical fumes, electrical hazards, and sharp tools 鈥� often without ventilation, proper lighting, or safety gear 鈥� their physical and mental well-being is constantly at risk. Gender-insensitive and unhygienic toilets further increase their vulnerability, particularly for girls. These children do not entitle to earn anything for two years, have no contracts, and are recruited informally through intermediaries. For them, work is not a choice but a consequence of poverty, debt, and family pressure. Their reality meets every definition of forced labour and modern slavery as outlined in international law.
While Bangladesh has made legislative progress 鈥� the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006 (amended in 2018) prohibits employment of children under 14 and limits adolescents to non-hazardous work 鈥� the enforcement of these laws is virtually non-existent in informal hubs like Keraniganj. The government has officially banned 43 types of hazardous work for anyone under 18, many of which are rampant in informal RMG units. These legal provisions mirror the requirements of ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age and Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, both ratified by Bangladesh. Yet, these commitments have failed to materialize into action on the ground.
Recognising the depth of the challenge, the Labour Law Reform Commission in 2024 made crucial recommendations. These include a total ban on hazardous labour for those under 18, legal recognition and protection for informal workers, and the criminalization of forced and coerced labour. The Commission also emphasized mandatory child labour reporting across supply chains and called for tighter integration of labour inspection with education, social services, and child protection. These recommendations directly support the ILO鈥檚 2021 Roadmap for the Elimination of Child Labour, which underscores the importance of expanding universal education, strengthening inspections, and providing decent work and social protection for adults.
On the international front, the responsibility is not limited to governments alone. The European Union鈥檚 Strategy on the Rights of the Child, its Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive are reshaping the global supply chain landscape. Brands sourcing from Bangladesh can no longer claim ignorance regarding the origins of their products. Under these frameworks, companies are legally obligated to ensure that their entire supply chains 鈥� including informal and subcontracted layers 鈥� are free of child labour and human rights abuses.
Yet, despite these legal frameworks and institutional declarations, informal clusters like Keraniganj remain unmapped and unmonitored. Labour inspectors are understaffed and lack jurisdiction in unregistered enterprises. Local governments have neither the mandate nor the resources to regulate these spaces, while transitional education programs remain scarce. Families, left unsupported by weak social protection systems, continue to send children into the workforce out of sheer necessity. The result is a systemic ecosystem of exploitation, where child labour is not only permitted but, in many cases, silently endorsed.
To address this crisis, Bangladesh must adopt a combined sector-based and area-based strategy. A sector-focused approach should target high-risk industries such as RMG, leather, recycling, construction, domestic work, and agriculture. Legal enforcement, supply chain accountability, and compliance mechanisms must be strengthened across these sectors. Simultaneously, an area-based approach should zero in on informal hotspots like Keraniganj. This would involve mapping all active factories, establishing community-level child protection monitoring, facilitating school reintegration, and ensuring family access to social safety nets. These efforts must be coordinated by multiple stakeholders, including trade unions, NGOs, local authorities, and national bodies.
What is needed now is not another statement of intent but bold action. The government must immediately begin implementing the LLRC鈥檚 recommendations, expand the coverage of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments to include informal areas, and build a coordinated national plan aligned with the ILO roadmap and SDG 8.7. Global brands must enforce their due diligence responsibilities under HREDD and CSDDD, ensuring traceability into the deepest layers of their production networks. Civil society must keep up the pressure, exposing violations and pushing for reform wherever child exploitation persists.
The children of Keraniganj are not invisible 鈥� they are ignored. They are workers without rights, students without schools, and citizens without protections. Let 2025 be the year we honour our obligations not in theory but in practice. If not we should renew our commitment aligning with the global community and ensure achievement by 2030. Ending child labour is not just a development target 鈥� it is a moral imperative. A just and prosperous Bangladesh must begin with protecting the dreams and dignity of every child.
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AKM Ashraf Uddin is executive director of Bangladesh Labour Foundation.