Chief Justice M Muzammel Hossain on Thursday stressed ensuring the rights of working children as per the country’s constitution.“The Constitution has given priority for the protection of children’s rights properly and correctly,” he told a national seminar at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the capital this (Thursday) afternoon.
Save the Children organised the seminar on the rights of working children and launching a publication, ‘Justice for Children in Bangladesh: An analysis of recent cases’.
About the age of children, Chief Justice Muzammel Hossain said: “Even within our jurisdiction, there is confusion about the age of children. Somewhere it is 16, somewhere 18 and again somewhere it is 21.”
Referring to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, he said Bangladesh is committed to ensure the rights of children, but practically nothing has been done till June 2013.
About the government steps to ensure the rights of children, the Chief Justice said the Bangladesh government announced the Child Labour Elimination Policy in 2010 that provides that a suitable working environment must be ensured for the child workers.
In the context of Bangladesh, the publication – ‘Justice for Children in Bangladesh: An analysis of recent cases’ – is a right step in a right direction, he said.
In a keynote paper at the seminar, a judge of the Appellate Division, Justice M Imman Ali said the children engaged in domestic work are totally helpless in enforcing their rights under the constitution as their work is not covered by the Labour Act.
He said that in spite of the existence of right to education under the constitution, they are denied this most fundamental need for their development. Without access to education, they cannot escape from the vicious poverty cycle.
Justice Imman Ali said concerted efforts with specific focus on education and poverty alleviation would help ensure enforcement of rights of the working children.
Social Welfare secretary Suraiya Begum, full-time member of National Human Rights Commission Kazi Rezaul Haque, deputy country director of Save the Children Nayyer Iqbal and coordinator of Domestic Workers’ Rights Movement Sultan Uddin Ahmmed also spoke at the seminar. – UNB
