Urgent call for new law to protect child domestic workers
Staff Correspondent
Government and non-government representatives have called for swift action to enact a new law ensuring the protection of children engaged in domestic work.
They stressed that weaknesses in the existing legal framework and poor enforcement of policies have left child domestic workers highly vulnerable. Alongside proper implementation of current policies, they urged immediate steps for legislation tailored to safeguard these children.
The call was made at a dialogue titled “Need for Specific Legislation to Protect the Rights of Child Domestic Workers” held at a city hotel on Thursday.
The event was organised by Action for Social Development (ASD), Educo Bangladesh, and Shapla Neer, with support from the Child Labour Elimination Platform.
Labour and Employment Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman attended the dialogue as the chief guest while ASD’s Executive Director MA Karim chaired the function. Among others, the dialogue was addressed by Law Commission Research Officer Mosammat Monira Sultana, Joint Secretary of the Labour and Employment Ministry Mohammad Mozammel Haque, Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Mosammat Salma Akter, labour leader Abul Hossain, National Human Rights Commission deputy director Susmita Paik, Shapla Neer Country Director Yumi Yagishita Masuda, Educo Country Director Abdul Hamid, and ASD Project Manager UKM Farhana Sultana.
Dhaka University law professor Dr Nazmuzzaman Bhuiyan presented the keynote paper, noting that despite the presence of various laws—including the Labour Act, Children’s Act, Prevention of Violence against Women and Children Act, and the Penal Code—domestic child workers remain outside effective legal protection. Domestic work has not even been listed as a hazardous occupation for children, he added, underscoring the urgent need for a dedicated Child Domestic Workers’ Protection Act.
In his speech, Secretary Shafiquzzaman emphasised that protecting child domestic workers is a matter of social justice and development. “We must legislate now to safeguard their rights. A monitoring committee has been formed for the welfare and protection of domestic workers. Child labour must also be brought under social safety nets. Along with legal reform, public awareness is crucial for success,” he said.
Chairman M.A. Karim reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating all forms of child labour by 2025, stressing the importance of a modern law to ensure the rights and safety of the country’s large number of child domestic workers.
