A multi-stakeholders meeting was organized on 18th January 2022 jointly by Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF) and Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE). The meeting was presided by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Keraniganj. A K M Salah Uddin, DIG, Dhaka office, DIFE has given the opening speech in the session. He mentioned an action plan was formulated and approved by the Ministry of Labor and Employment to eliminate child labor from local garment manufacturing and supply factories/institutions targeting the Keraniganj industrial zone.

 

He also mentioned that the government is committed to implementing the dream of the father of the nation, the visionary of the independence and economic development of Bangladesh, and eliminating child labor in all sectors by the year 2025 to achieve SDG goals by the year 2030, and to build a developed country by the year 2041. For this reason, a national action plan has been implemented countrywide and under that Keraniganj is being priorities and a separate action plan has been taken for sectoral base child labour elimination.

 

In his speech, Mohammad Foisol Bin Karim, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Keraniganj said the employer should be aware of child labour-related laws and take immediate action to eliminate child labour from the Keraniganj Local RMG factories. He also said that since the government has taken an initiative for Keraniganj it is now everyone’s responsibility to take initiative for eliminating child labour and also stop recruiting child labour from Keraniganj factories. And the Government is also taking other initiative for developing the skills of the child workers through different program. He also mentioned that the UNO office will visit the factories very soon and asked the employers organization to take immediate action in this regards.

 

Among other BLF Secretary General Z M Kamrul Anam thanks everyone to join in the meeting and shows BLFs commitment to eliminate child labour form Bangladesh within 2025. Mahmudul Hasan Khan, Deputy Director, Program presented the current situation of Child Labour in the Keraniganj Factories and later showed a video documentary on this. Representative of different department of Upazila Administration, Law Enforcement Agency, Fire Service and Civil Defense, Employers Association, Trade Union Leaders, Journalist, DIFE and BLF were also present in the meeting.