Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1937 (No. 59) - Bangladesh (Ratification: 1972)

Further to the previous observation, the Committee notes the Government's report, which includes information on the continued efforts to eliminate child labour from the garment factories of the members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). According to the report, among the 3,984 garment factories visited by the inspection, 3,381 were found without child labour, 275 had child labour, and 328 factories were temporarily closed.

The Government further states that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 1994 between the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the ILO to launch the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) with a view to eliminating child labour in different sectors.

In addition to the above, the Committee notes the reports the Government submitted in 1997 to the United Nations concerning the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/3/Add.38 and CRC/C/3/Add.49), in which the Government notes that, although estimates vary, the number of child workers is significant in literally hundreds of occupations, and that in some cases children are subject to severe exploitation and physical and psychological hazards. The Government further recognizes the need for action to remove children urgently from hazardous and unhealthy work and to reduce child labour progressively by expanding primary schooling and providing support to poor families (CRC/C/3/Add.49, paragraph 37).

The Committee requests the Government to indicate all measures taken, in line with the indications in the above-mentioned reports, to ensure the application of the Convention in practice, as well as the results achieved, including the number of children effectively removed from the work done in contravention to the minimum age provisions. It requests the Government to continue to supply detailed information in accordance with point V of the report form on the application of the Convention in practice, including for instance any statistics, extracts from official reports, the number of inspection visits made, the contraventions reported, with regard not only to the garment manufacturing but also other sectors covered by the Convention.