Bangladesh approves draft law banning child labour

The Bangladeshi government has approved the draft of a law banning child labour in the country with provisions for stringent punishment to offenders, reports Xinhua

The draft was approved at a cabinet meeting Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Alam, said.

The proposed “Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Act” stipulates that anybody, who engages child labour will be fined 5,000 taka (about 60 dollars).

The country’s existing labour law allows the minimum age for light work at 12.

The move comes as the phenomenon of child labour in Bangladesh is on the rise in various informal sectors, including small factories and workshops, the street, home-based businesses and domestic employment.

According to the International Labour Organisation definition, there are about 3.2 million child labourers in Bangladesh.