As evening approached, Kawsar, an 11-year-old boy from Lakhsmipur, diligently cleaned tables, cleared plates, and refilled water jugs at the canteen of Kabi Jasimuddin Hall of Dhaka University (DU)
His day, which began at 7am, shows no signs of rest as he caters to the needs of hundreds of students. Even a single moment of pause is a luxury he cannot afford, as evidenced by his hurried response to a student’s request to deliver food to the fifth floor of the hall.
Kawsar has to support his mother and two younger siblings after his father, a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, stopped providing for them.
The boy has to labour through three gruelling shifts daily: 7am to 10am, 11am to 3pm, and 7pm to 10pm, amounting to 10 hours in total and earning a mere Tk3,500 monthly, along with food and shelter.
Kawsar is not alone. Shaon, a 13-year-old, and his elder brother Zibon, who hail from Kalkini in Madaripur District, share a similar fate. They work from 8am until midnight, with only a brief three-hour break in the afternoon.
Their father, afflicted with mental disorders for three years, can no longer support their family, leaving these young boys to shoulder the burden.
Little boys like them, some as young as 10, work gruelling 10-hour or more a day shift at canteens and shops for meagre wages to shoulder the burden of surviving and supporting their families.
These children, instead of attending school and dreaming of a brighter future, are caught in the vicious cycle of poverty with exploitation biting hard. They clean tables, wash dishes, and deliver food, their childhood stolen by economic hardship.
A norm to avoid ‘unwanted situations’
Visiting various canteens and shops at Dhaka University's 18 residential halls and Eden Women's College, it was seen that more than hundred child workers are employed in these establishments.
Notably, Sufia Kamal Hall has 13 child workers, Samsun Nahar Hall has 9, and Eden College employs 34 across its seven canteens. These children undertake tasks such as cleaning tables, washing dishes, delivering food, and maintaining the cleanliness of the canteens.
Despite their extensive labour, they earn between Tk3,000-5,000 per month.
Bangladesh's Labour Act of 2006 prohibits the employment of children under 14 years of age.
Adolescents aged 14 to 18 can only work under certain conditions and only after the enterprise obtains a certificate of safety.
Despite these laws, child labour persists, often justified by socio-economic realities.
Hall provosts cite concerns about "unwanted situations" in female halls as a justification for employing underage boys.
This exposes a flawed logic that prioritises perceived security over the legal and ethical implications of child labour.
Canteen owners themselves admit the underhand practice of employing young boys for their docility and lower wage demands.
Photo: Mizanur Rahman/B1st
Nasir Uddin, who operates three canteens, including those at Kabi Jasimuddin Hall and Eden Mohila College, acknowledges the issue.
“It is the authorities' instruction to appoint workers under 15 in the female halls of Dhaka University and Eden Mohila College,” he said.
Despite the clear legal prohibition, the authorities prefer younger workers for reasons tied to convenience and cost.
Mamun, who runs a canteen at Shamsunnahar Hall, echoes the same. He employs seven workers under 14 years old.
The hall’s provost, Professor Lafifa Jamal, admits to informal instructions favouring the employment of younger boys, citing the safety of female students as a concern.
However, she denies overseeing the recruitment process or the children's wages and working hours, leaving these responsibilities to the canteen owners.
When spoken to around a dozen child workers who sell coffee, flowers, water, and cold drinks across the DU campus and adjacent areas, one of them, Ashraf, 13, said 35 children sell coffee around the campus area, including Suhrawardy Udyan.
He says at least one hundred children work on the campus as floating vendors.
A small reflection of the larger picture
Child labour at Dhaka University is a microcosm of a larger national struggle.
Educational institutions like Dhaka University have a moral obligation to uphold the law and protect children. Implementing child protection policies and raising awareness are crucial first steps.
The plight of these child workers is a reflection of broader socio-economic challenges.
Professor Dr Mohammad Bellal Hossain from the Department of Population Sciences at Dhaka University emphasises on that.
“We have laws which we are enforcing but the socio-economic context must be considered. We must question why children are working instead of attending school,” he added.
The Child Rights Advocacy Coalition in Bangladesh highlights that, out of nearly 40 million children aged 5-17, over 3.5 million are engaged in work, with more than a million in vulnerable conditions.
These children are deprived of their right to education, health, and recreation.
On the global front, Bangladesh has committed to eliminating child labour by 2025, following its ratification of the ILO’s Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No 138).
A call for action to care for future
As 12 June is observed as World Day Against Child Labour, with this year’s theme being, “Let’s act on our commitments: End child labour!”, it is imperative to reflect on the realities faced by child workers like Kawsar and Shaon.
Their stories compel the collective consciousness for actions with compassion and urgency, to ensure that every child can enjoy their right to a childhood free from labour, filled with opportunities for education, growth and the pressing need to address the socio-economic roots of child labour and to strive towards a future where no child’s potential is stifled by the burdens of work.
Bangladesh First Deputy Content Editor Mohammad Touseful Islam contributed to this report
