Call for urgent law to protect rights of child domestic workers

Government and non-government representatives have called for the urgent enactment of a specific law to protect the rights and ensure the safety of child domestic workers, highlighting a major gap in the current legal framework. 

They stressed that due to weak enforcement and inadequate policy implementation, these children remain exposed to serious risks, making new legislation both urgent and essential.

The demand came during a dialogue titled “The Need for a Specific Law to Ensure the Rights and Protection of Child Domestic Workers” held on Tuesday at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka. 

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, was attend the event as the chief guest. Presided over by ASD Executive Director MA Karim the session was addressed, among others by Mohammad Shamsul Islam, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment; Mosammat Monira Sultana, Research Officer at the Law Commission; Sarawat Mehjabeen, Senior Assistant Secretary of 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, Country Director of Shapla Neer; Abdul Hamid, Country Director of Educo Bangladesh and Shabnaz Zahreen, Child Protection Specialist of UNICEF Bangladesh.

In his keynote paper, child protection expert Sharafuddin Khan stated that Bangladesh is committed to eliminating hazardous child labour by 2025 under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, child domestic workers continue to face routine abuse, including physical violence and exploitation, indicating an urgent need for a rights-based legal framework and its proper implementation.

In her address, Justice Zinat Ara said that child labour is unacceptable anywhere in the world and undermines the humanity and dignity of children. She warned that without eliminating child labour, society’s claim to being civilised is questionable. She noted with concern that many child domestic workers fall victim to abuse so severe that it leads them to suicide, sexual exploitation, or even criminal involvement.

ASD Executive Director MA Karim emphasised the need for a concerted effort from the government and development organisations to protect these vulnerable children. He reiterated the government’s pledge under the SDGs to eradicate all forms of child labour by 2025, calling for modern, practical legislation to safeguard the rights of domestic child workers.

The speakers at the event painted a grim picture of the conditions these children endure—no fixed working hours, denial of rest or leave, substandard living conditions, lack of access to nutritious food and education, forced to do work beyond their physical ability, and exposure to hazardous environments. Many are victims of severe physical, mental, and sexual abuse, with some dying prematurely due to extreme violence.

They unanimously urged the government to develop and implement a time-befitting, child-centric law to ensure the rights, dignity, and safety of child domestic workers and to uphold Bangladesh’s commitment to the SDGs.