Abstract:
Child is the father of a man. Child is the wealth of a state. Child is the hope and future
of a nation. Child is the pioneer of human civilization. When the child is so important
in the life of a nation; he can neither be ignored nor be neglected in the onward march
of the world civilization. Child should therefore be properly reared up for the sake of
human civilization, for the sake of a nation and its government. Environment should
be so created that a child properly grows physically; mentally as well as intellectually
to play its due role in tomorrow's society.
Child is the continuation of human civilization and bears the testimony of parenthood
and generation. It is the foundation of a family, a society, a nation and the world as a
whole. It requires careful and effective measures for his proper nourishment by the
concerned person and authority. It is to be provided with the basics he requires. But
unfortunately, this does not prevail all over the world equally specially in the
developing countries. A few fortunate children of these countries are provided with
their basics while the rest are denied of their basic needs, physical and mental growth.
They are compelled to offer labour for their livelihood before they attain majority.
They work with the hammer and the spade instead of working with the book and the
pencil. Sometimes circumstantially they go into the clutches of anti-social elements,
create law and order problems and finally they become liability of the state instead of
becoming an asset (Siddiqua, 2002). In the formal sector, garment factories topped the
list to absorb the highest number of child workers. The issue of child labour in
Bangladesh become most discussed and debatable in early I 990's when the United
States and other foreign buyers refused to import garments from Bangladesh as long
as child labour in garment factories in Bangladesh attracts most international
attention.
Child lnbour in Bangladesh and other developing countries reveal that the vast
majority of working children are employed in agriculture and domestic service sectors
where children are taking part in service, small-scale manufacturing, and various
agricultural occupations; they also perfonn household chores such as fetching water.
collecting firewood, cooking and taking care of younger siblings. Although many of
these children are working under supervision, full-time work can deter them from
attending school, and many home-based activities can be as harmful as work
performed outside the home (!LO, 1996).
Description:
This thesis is submitted to the Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi Bangladesh for the Degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
