Government and non-government stakeholders have issued a strong call for the urgent enactment of a dedicated law to safeguard the rights and welfare of child domestic workers, citing a critical gap in the current legal framework.
At a dialogue titled “The Need for a Specific Law to Ensure the Rights and Protection of Child Domestic Workers,” held Tuesday at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka, speakers stressed that weak enforcement and inadequate policy implementation leave thousands of children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
The event was jointly organised by the Law Commission, Action for Social Development (ASD), Shapla Neer, and Educo-Bangladesh.
Justice Zinat Ara, Chairperson of the Law Commission, attended as the chief guest. The session was presided over by ASD Executive Director MA Karim and featured remarks from key figures including Mohammad Shamsul Islam, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment; Mosammat Monira Sultana of the Law Commission; Sarawat Mehjabeen from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Advocate Salma Ali, Advisor to the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association; Syeda Munira Sultana of ILO Bangladesh; Tamako Uchiayama of Shapla Neer; Abdul Hamid of Educo Bangladesh; and Shabnaz Zahreen from UNICEF.
Presenting the keynote paper, child protection expert Sharafuddin Khan highlighted Bangladesh’s commitment to eliminating hazardous child labour by 2025 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, he noted that child domestic workers still face routine physical abuse, exploitation, and unsafe working conditions, underlining the urgent need for a comprehensive, rights-based legal framework.
Justice Zinat Ara condemned child labour as a violation of children’s humanity and dignity, stating that no civilised society can justify its persistence. She warned that many child domestic workers are subjected to such extreme abuse that it leads to suicide, sexual exploitation, or even criminal entrapment.
ASD Executive Director MA Karim called for stronger collaboration between the government and development organisations to protect these vulnerable children. He emphasised the need for modern legislation aligned with Bangladesh’s SDG pledge to eradicate child labour by 2025.
Speakers painted a harrowing picture of the plight of child domestic workers—denied basic rights such as rest, education, nutritious food, and medical care; often forced into hazardous work; and exposed to physical, mental, and sexual abuse.
They unanimously urged the government to adopt a timely, child-focused legal framework that guarantees protection, dignity, and a future for these children, thereby fulfilling the nation’s international obligations under the SDGs.
