US REPORT SAYS
23,000 children removed
from hazardous work
BDNEWS, Dhaka

About 23,000 children have been removed from hazardous work from bidi production, match factories, tanneries, construction and child domestic workers in Bangladesh.

   ‘...more than 30,000 children have been placed in either non-formal or formal education or pre-vocational training,’ said the ‘Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The US Record 2004-2005’ report, which was submitted to the Congress by the US Department of State on Monday.

   It said the US Labour Department and USAID fund programmes to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, to support working women’s education centres, empower rural women in the informal sector and provide opportunities for persons with disabilities.

   Through IPEC, the ILO used activities including a three-year project to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. The project targeted five industries — bidi production (the hand-rolled cigarette industry), match-making, tanneries, constructions and child domestic workers, the report said.

   ‘Since many of the human rights abuses centred on issues of governance and corruption, the Embassy focused its democracy promotion efforts on political reform and improving local governance.’

   It said the United States, through USAID is funding a three-year initiative to strengthen parliamentary committees, reform political parties, and assist elected local governments in becoming more accountable to its citizens.

   The US sponsored International Military Education and Training, Expanded International Military Education and Training, and counter-terrorism training courses for Bangladeshi law enforcement and security personnel, which emphasised respect for human rights, it added.

   As Bangladesh parliament passed legislation in 2004 permitting limited freedom of association in the export processing zones, the report said, adding, the US Embassy ‘is closely monitoring implementation of the legislation, including provisions for worker representation elections.’

   Referring to trafficking issue, the report said Bangladesh demonstrated sufficient pro-gress, including intensified law enforcement activities such as victim rescue, arrests of traffickers and the establishment of a national police monitoring cell to justify a reassessment of its designation to Tier II (watch list) within the 90 day time-frame.