As the world observes May Day to honor the rights and dignity of workers, it’s also important to remember a group whose struggles are often ignored: the children working in Bangladesh’s factories, workshops, and streets. While adult workers demand fair treatment, child workers continue to suffer in silence.
These children don’t receive minimum wages, sick leave, or the right to form or join unions. Many work over 10 hours a day, six days a week, without any medical care or protection. According to the National Child Labor Survey 2022, about 1.78 million children aged 5–17 are engaged in child labor in Bangladesh. Over 1.07 million of them are doing hazardous jobs. Shockingly, this marks a 4.5% increase in child labor over the last decade.
The COVID-19 pandemic made things worse. In 2022, over 5 lakh (511,000) children dropped out of school, and many of them were forced into work. Financial hardship was the main reason, especially in families where secondary education became unaffordable despite primary schooling being free.
As a result, children are often pushed into risky jobs like motor vehicle repair, footwear and garment factories, iron and steel work, and even domestic labor. Urban areas are the worst affected. Around 64.3% of children working in hazardous jobs are based in cities. In slums and informal settlements, children are regularly seen working beside adults in small factories or family businesses.
A report from Asia News Network (March 13, 2024) revealed that nearly 25,000 children work in vehicle repair, 5,000 in shoe factories, and many more in dangerous sectors like tanneries and toxic recycling plants. Domestic workers, mostly girls, remain hidden and unprotected, making their exploitation even harder to trace.
Although Bangladeshi law bans hazardous labor for anyone under 18, enforcement is weak, especially in informal sectors. In export processing zones, inspections are often ineffective, as factory owners receive prior notice.
The US Department of Labor’s 2023 report stated that children in Bangladesh are involved in some of the worst forms of child labor, including sex work and harmful tasks in the garment and leather industries.
On April 30, the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) recommended stricter enforcement, a complete ban on hazardous child labor, and fair wages for all workers.
As we celebrate labor rights today, we must not forget these children. A child’s place is in school, not in a factory or workshop. As the world celebrates May Day today to honor the rights and struggles of workers, we must also remember those whose hard work often goes unseen—children working in factories, workshops, and fields across Bangladesh.
While adult workers are raising their voices for justice, fair wages, and dignity, child workers remain silent. These children do not get minimum wages, sick leave, or the right to join any union. Many of them work more than 10 hours a day, six days a week, without any medical help or support if they get injured.
According to the National Child Labour Survey 2022 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, around 17.8 lakh (1.78 million) children aged between 5 and 17 are involved in child labor. Out of them, more than 1.07 lakh (107,000) are doing dangerous and risky work. What is more worrying is that child labor has increased by 4.5 percent in the last ten years.
On this May Day, while we talk about workers’ rights, we must also speak up for these children. They deserve a chance at education, a healthy life, and a better future—just like every other child.
Human rights activist and student.
