From Paper to Practice: Why Child Labour Laws Fail in Bangladesh

Abstract

Although the government has promised to follow international norms to fix the problem, child labor is still a challenge in Bangladesh. Millions of kids face dangerous and unfair occupations especially in the informal economy, e.g., farms, housework, and small companies. Bangladesh Labour Act of 2006 and the National Child Labour Elimination Policy of 2010 are both significant pieces of legislation but these are not enforced properly due to scarcity of resources, corruption, and entrenched social norms. Current study analyzes the prevalence of child labor despite presence of legal framework. Governance laws will never achieve their effect until they deal with the confluence of extreme poverty, poor governance, lack of education, and complex global supply chains. The study highlights the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to address the root causes of child labor, enhance enforcement and develop viable alternatives to child labor.