This year’s World Day Against Child Labour theme, “Red card to child labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults,” captures a fundamental truth: child labour and adult exploitation are two sides of the same coin. When adults earn wages that cannot sustain a family, children are forced into work to make up the deficit.
According to a 2024 ILO-UNICEF global estimate on child labour, 138 million children are trapped in child labour worldwide, including 54 million engaged in hazardous work. In the last decade, there has been good progress in reducing child labour globally. However, due to COVID-19 and economic depression, SDG Target 8.7, to end all forms of child labour by 2025, has been missed. As per the national child labour survey, 2022, there are 1.7 million child labourers in Bangladesh, of which one million are trapped in hazardous forms of child labour. As per law, the minimum age of entry into the workforce is 14 and hazardous work is prohibited for children under 18. Despite these laws being in place, implementing them is very challenging for many reasons, including poverty and lack of awareness, etc.
To overcome this hurdle, Bangladesh must upgrade free and compulsory education to at least age 14, equivalent to grade 8. ILO Convention No. 138, which Bangladesh has ratified, requires that the age of compulsory schooling be aligned with the minimum age of entry into employment. Without this alignment, children are legally permitted to leave school, which gives way to either child labour or child marriage. Fortunately, Bangladesh’s National Education Policy recommends free and compulsory education up to grade 8. Our neighbouring countries already have such education laws, with some having a higher minimum grade completion. This should be an attainable goal for Bangladesh, too.
Secondly, Bangladesh should develop a dedicated conditional social safety net programme targeting child labourers and their families. Families send children to work because survival demands it. A well-designed programme would tie children’s school enrollment to cash transfers for parents. Thirdly, labour inspections, timely prosecution and meaningful penalties are essential to set examples of good governance.
It is highly recommended that these three proposals be embedded in the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Child Labour. This should be a coordinated effort between the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Women and Children. Also, there are a few other ministries, including the Ministry of Information, Home Affairs, Religious Affairs, etc., which can play a vital role in eliminating child labour from Bangladesh.
The Marrakesh Framework for Action was adopted at the Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, 2026. It sets a roadmap till 2030 and calls upon all countries to accelerate action through quality education, expanded social protection, address the worst forms of child labour, decent work for adults, stronger labour inspection, responsible business conduct, and effective partnerships. Bangladesh should take Marrakesh’s recommendations into account while developing the National Plan of Action (NPA).
For the first time, the Labour Law amendment of March 2026 recognises domestic workers’ rights and sets the minimum age for child domestic workers at 14. This is a landmark step. Yet it comes against a backdrop of almost routine news reports of the torture, abuse, and killing of children, especially girls. We must not tolerate this. I hope the government will consider declaring this a hazardous sector, so that no one under 18 is allowed to work as a domestic worker.
Considerable progress has been achieved at the policy level, and the government is focusing on raising awareness of the adverse effects of child labour to an audience of employers, workers, and the public at large. The present government deserves praise for prioritising child labour NPA in its 180-day agenda. This shows a clear commitment from the government to take necessary actions to eliminate child labour from the country.
As Bangladesh advances towards middle-income status after 2029, the country cannot afford to leave its children behind. A competitive and productive economy depends on an educated, skilled, and healthy workforce. Therefore, children must go to school and not to work. This is the time to accelerate action. When parents have access to decent jobs, fair wages, and social protection, they are less likely to rely on their children’s income. Fair play for children begins with decent work for adults.
As we are witnessing the World Cup every night, a red card sends a clear message that certain behaviour is unacceptable. Today, we collectively show a red card to child labour.
The views expressed are solely those of the author
The writer is a lead for child Labour and safe work for youth programme, ILO Bangladesh
