Even a few years back, children were engaged in labour works in dry fish processing areas on Dublar Char in the Sundarbans to meet their daily food. Guardians of those children forced them (children) to go to work on char areas for earning money.
A recent seminar revealed that around 20 per cent of the workers in the hazardous dry fish industry, are children. The stark reality is that the problem of child labour and poverty is interwoven with many of the major societal challenges and issues Bangladesh faces.
The children, who were forcibly employed in the dry fish zone on Dublar Char, got a little wage after six months of hard works. They worked no better than slaves. The children were repressed and faced harassment even for a little mistake despite their hard works.
But, the scenario has been changed during the last few years. The number of child labour has been reduced significantly.
In a recent visit, it was seen that the village of dry fish on Dublar Char in the Sundarbans has become bustling around the current dry season. The businessmen were busy in dry fish processing. About hundreds of fishermen are making dry fish after bringing fish from sea. And the area was mostly free from child labour.
Teenager Golam, who is now 15 years old of the area, said he came here along with his elder brother. But, he didn’t see any other boys and girls of his same age.
Dublar Char is located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal with Alorkol, Narkel Baria, Shelarchar and Meheralir Char, the largest marine fish areas in the Sundarbans. These chars are located in the Sharankhola range of the Eastern Sundarbans division of Bagerhat.
Sources said the target for revenue collection from the dry sector has been set at Taka 3.20 crore. Taka 2.47 crore was collected as revenue in last 2018-19 fiscal while it was Taka 3.17 crore in 2019-2020 fiscal.
Sources said that the salt water of the sea and the hard work in the sun seemed to be the destiny of the children of Dublar Char. Those children were brought from Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Khulna and Sathkhira for six months. For this, the children would get only Taka 10,000 to 12,000 as wage.
Children who stopped studying due to lack of money used to come here more. The children came from families who had settled around the dried fish zone, having been displaced from their homes by river erosion and poverty. They worked everything of dry fish processing.
The concerned think that child labor is declining as NGOs and Coast Guard Western Zone are working to stop child labor, providing free textbooks, educational equipment and stipends to all students under the ‘Education for All’ programme for the development and welfare of children.
Some people think that child labor is also declining due to the introduction of school feeding programs in poverty-porn areas.
M Nazmul Azam David, Executive Director of Parivartan Khulna, said the child labor has been decreased in Dublar Char due to various activities of non-governmental organizations working on child rights and strict role of law enforcement agencies.
Economic aspect is the main obstacle to end child labour. So employing children creates scope for giving lower wages and earning higher profits.
When children grow up in a poor and unsafe environment, are more likely to fall prey to child labour, and are subjected to physical abuse.
