[Intl-tobacco] Bangladesh: 'Free children from tobacco factories'

[Robert Weissman]

June 14, 2004
The Daily Star


'Free children from tobacco factories'
Speakers at Kushtia children's rallies appeal
Amanur Aman, Kushtia

Speakers at two children's rallies in the district on Saturday appealed
to all tobacco factory owners to free child labourers for their
education and rehabilitation.

They also urged the government to take effective steps to eliminate
child labour.

The rallies were organised by Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra (BTUK) and
SETU, a local NGO, marking the World Child Labour Resistance Day to create
awareness among people to eliminate child labour, specially from tobacco factories.

Both BTUK and SETU are working to eliminate child labour with assistance
from the ILO (International Labour Organisation) and IPEC (International Programme
for Elimination of Child Labour).

According to BTUK, about 5000 children are working in eight big tobacco
factories in Kushtia.

About 1000 children attended the BTUK rally, held at Kushtia town.

It was addressed by, among others, Kushtia Municipality Chairman Anwar
Ali, ILO Social Monitor Mahfujul Alam and social workers MatiurRahman
Laltu and
Rafiqul Islam.

BTUK's local programme organizer Ahasanul Haq Nabab told the rally that
they are trying to reach agreements with tobacco factory owners to free
more children
from hazardous work.

After the rally, the children staged a street drama on hazardous work by children.

The other rally at Daulatpur organised by SETU was attended by about 500
children, guardians, representatives of Bidi factories and government
and NGO
official.

The rally was followed by a seminar on Child Labour and Ignorance of
Parents, held at Daulatpur Upazial Parishad Audi-torium.

With Daulatpur Upazila Primary Teachers Association President Abdus
Siddiq Mollah in the chair, it was addressed by, among others, Upazila
Nirbahi Officer
(UNO) Nazrul Islam, Upazila Village Development Officer

Siraj Uddin, Nasir Bidi Factory Manager Abu Bakar Siddique, ILO Social
Monitor Jaganmoy Projesh Biswas and ILO Project Assistant Jasim Uddin.

They urged the bidi factory owners not to employ children and help their
education and rehabilitation.

Mentionably, SEYU has so far taken 865 children from bidi factories in
the district and provided schooling facilities for them.

On May 10, it signed an agreement with Mansur Bidi Factory, a big
tobacco manufacturing factory in the district, not to employ children
any more.