CHILD labour has become a burning issue across the world today. We see children being employed at an un-employable age. In our country, we see young and underage children work for motor workshops. Many of them work for even 12 hours in a day with a meagre pay only to be able to supplement their family incomes. Child labour is unkind and inhuman, but we cannot eradicate it until we eradicate extreme poverty. Poverty, corruption and other social malaise walk hand in hand. Any work that deprives children of their childhood life is considered as child labour. It is good to know that, of late, child labour is decreasing globally. If the whole world works together towards making our globe a better place to live in, child labour will have to be removed. It is really heart breaking to see small children toiling hard in mills and factories. Poor children should get assistance from all quarters including the government so that they can pursue their studies in an uninterrupted manner. Every child should be able to go to school and as a nation it is our sacred duty to ensure that.
Rumana Sharmeen
Dhaka University