Children in Bangladesh are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including forced child labor in the production of dried fish and bricks. (1,2) Children also perform dangerous tasks in garment and leather goods supply chains. (2-5) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Bangladesh. Data on some of these indicators are not available from the sources used in this report.

Primary completion rate was unavailable from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2021. (6)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS 6), 2019. These data are not comparable with data presented in last year's report due to changes in survey source, survey questionnaire, or age range surveyed. (7)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.

† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Although research is limited, there are indications that an increased number of children have been forced into commercial sexual exploitation and forced begging as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. (51) The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics estimated that there were 1.28 million children working in hazardous sectors before the pandemic, and one NGO has observed a 33 percent increase in child labor and guessed 20 to 25 percent of children in its programs had moved into more hazardous jobs or returned to their villages since the onset of the pandemic. (2,31,40) Sources further indicate that children engaged in child labor worked longer hours with fewer breaks, earned lower salaries, and faced worse conditions as a result of the pandemic. (2) Hazardous sectors in which children work include tanneries, shipbreaking, and the dried fish industry. (5,8,35,45) In the dried fish industry, children work all day without protective gear and are exposed to the insecticide DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), salt, and the sun. (45,100) In the shipbreaking sector, children are exposed to toxic materials such as asbestos, work in dangerous conditions without personal protective equipment, and often work at night. (34) Children who work in tanneries lack protective equipment and experience continuous exposure to heavy metals, formaldehyde, and other hazardous substances. (3,4) In addition, children working in informal garment production work as many as 16 hours a day and often carry heavy loads, use hazardous machinery, and handle chemicals without protective equipment. (25,101,102,103)

Reports of violence against child workers in various sectors, including in domestic work, have also been documented. (8,20,38,52-54) In 2018, a survey by an international organization found more than 400,000 children in domestic work in Bangladesh. Throughout Bangladesh, street children are coerced into criminality or forced to beg, and begging ringmasters sometimes maim children to increase earnings. (39) Some girls are forced into domestic service, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, and are abused by their employers. (2,43,49,50) In 2020, at least eight girls working in domestic work were tortured, and three subsequently died. (55) Children are also forced, especially in border areas, to produce and transport drugs, especially “yaba” tablets (methamphetamine). (39)
Children throughout Bangladesh are sexually exploited through the country’s legal and illegal brothels, and child commercial sexual exploitation remained widespread. (39) False promises of work are used to lure poor women and children into exploitation, and oftentimes these women and girls, some as young as age 10, are charged exorbitant and fabricated debts they must work to repay. (39) Women and children living on the street or struggling economically and children fleeing abusive child marriages, are especially vulnerable to being sold to brothels for commercial sexual exploitation. Some children of sex workers are also put to work in brothels and made to take steroids to appear older. (39) In addition, children are trafficked to India where they are forced into labor or commercial sexual exploitation. (2) Research has found that Internet-based trafficking in persons increased during the pandemic, with traffickers adapting to technology by using popular apps to connect with victims. (51)

Although the 2010 National Education Policy raised the age of compulsory education from fifth grade (age 10) to eighth grade (age 14), the new compulsory education scheme is not enforceable until the legal framework is amended to reflect the revised policy. (31) Research has found many schools are overcrowded and over 80 percent run double shifts. Further, the Teacher Training Institute cannot keep up with the demand for teachers, particularly in rural areas. (2) To accommodate the larger number of students receiving compulsory education, Bangladesh is building new schools for students in higher grades. In the 2019–2020 fiscal year, Bangladesh completed 2,249 new schools, installed sanitation facilities in 850 schools, and installed tube wells in 1,175 schools. (31) While poverty was the most common reason children did not attend school, as 31 percent of families depend on child labor to survive, inadequate access to education remains a concern. (40)

In 2020, access to education in Bangladesh was severely inhibited due to the pandemic. Schools in Bangladesh closed in the spring and remained closed through the end of the reporting period. (2) While televised and online classes were made available to students in grades one through ten, the distance learning program did not adequately reach the most vulnerable children. In addition to pandemic-related closures, children in Bangladesh face barriers to education such as high costs for transportation, uniforms, and stationary. (2,56)

Over 400,000 Rohingya children are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh following the Burmese military's ethnic cleansing operations in 2017. Children residing in the camps are vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. (39,43,57,58) In 2020, the government began restricting humanitarian access, including education and protection programs, due to the pandemic. The government also erected barbed wire fences around refugee camps as a security measure. (59) As a result, refugee children are more vulnerable to exploitation and less able to access humanitarian assistance. (59) Rohingya girls are trafficked from the refugee camps for commercial sexual exploitation in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. In some cases, girls are promised jobs in domestic service but are instead forced into commercial sexual exploitation. (39) Rohingya children recruited to work outside the refugee camps are reported to be underpaid or unpaid, unable to communicate with their families, and subjected to excessive working hours. (43,60) Rohingya boys typically work in construction, fishing, and shops. (39,50) Rohingya children are further sold into bonded labor in the fish drying industry by their parents, primarily in Cox's Bazar. Bonded laborers—both Bangladeshi children and Rohingya refugee children—work to pay off their parents’ debts over a 9 month fishing season. (15,39)

Rohingya refugee children are not permitted to attend primary and secondary school in Bangladesh, including in private educational institutions, due to their lack of documentation. (40) The government has permitted international organizations, such as UNICEF, UNESCO, and UNHCR, to provide some basic education services to primary school-age Rohingya children, and some university-level students have received scholarships. (31,40,59) Aid groups are barred from teaching the Bangla language, using Bangladesh's educational curriculum, or providing accredited education to refugees. (2,40) However, the Government of Bangladesh agreed to allow international partners to implement the Myanmar Curriculum Pilot, which began rolling out in 2020, but was put on hold due to the pandemic. The pilot, based on refugees' interests, would allow children to follow Burma's educational curriculum and learn the Burmese language with the goal of preparing for their return in the future. (31)

Bangladesh has ratified most key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).

The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Bangladesh’s legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the minimum age for work.

* No conscription (74)

Minimum age protections in the Bangladesh Labor Act do not cover children working in the informal sector, in which an estimated 93 percent of child labor in Bangladesh occurs, including domestic work, street work, and work on small agricultural farms. (39,56,61,75) In addition, the types of hazardous work prohibited for children do not cover producing garments and drying fish; both are areas of work in which there is evidence that children work in unsafe and unhealthy environments for long periods of time. (1,8,17-21,25,45,62,101,102,103)

Bangladesh prohibits, but does not criminalize, the use of children in pornographic performances and in the production of drugs. (64,66) Sources indicate that the minimum age for recruitment in the Army is 17 and requires parental consent in addition to birth documents verifying age. (69) Army recruitment and training take 1 year, ensuring that recruits reach the age of 18 before entering regular duty. (70) However, the minimum age for recruitment in the Air Force is 16. (68) In addition, there are no laws that set the minimum age of voluntary recruitment by the state armed forces. Although the Constitution prohibits the formation of non-state armed groups, the legal framework does not criminally prohibit the recruitment of children by non-state armed groups. (72)

As mentioned earlier, though the 2010 National Education Policy raised the age of compulsory education from fifth grade (age 10) to eighth grade (age 14), the new compulsory education scheme is not yet enforceable. (31, 76) The compulsory education age is lower than the minimum age for work, making children ages 10 to 14 vulnerable to child labor, as they are not required to attend school but are not legally permitted to work.

In 2020, the Ministry of Labor and Employment drafted an update to the hazardous work list, which if adopted, would add drying fish. (2)

The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the authority and operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2020, labor law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh took actions to combat child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the authority of the Department of Inspections for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including a lack of authority of labor inspectors to assess penalties.

† Data are from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
‡ Data are from July 1, 2020 to December 30, 2020.

DIFE conducts routine inspections in assigned areas based on a checklist that includes child labor. In response to complaints, DIFE also conducts unannounced visits. (2) However, DIFE is only authorized to conduct unannounced inspections outside the export processing zones and special economic zones. (2,56,104) The lack of routine unannounced inspections in all sectors allows employers to hide child laborers. (39) Sources report that garment factories producing for local markets are rarely inspected despite a high prevalence of child labor in the sector. (2) Some employers move children to night shifts to evade inspectors, as night inspections are only conducted until 8 p.m. (2,34) In addition, the penalty for a child labor law violation, which can only be imposed by a court after a lengthy process, and the low amount of penalties imposed are inadequate to act as deterrents. (2,56) Research has found that the maximum penalty for a child labor law violation is approximately $59 (5,000 taka), which is insufficient to deter violations. (61,84)

The number of labor inspectors is likely insufficient for the size of Bangladesh’s workforce, which includes more than 66 million workers. According to the ILO’s technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 40,000 workers in less developed economies, Bangladesh would employ about 1,666 labor inspectors. (8,85-88) Sources indicate that DIFE is insufficiently funded and inspectors are reluctant to enforce labor laws because they believe factories will close and force the poor out of work. (2)

The government reported that, between July 2019 and December 2020, labor inspections led to the removal of 1,924 child laborers from 1,500 worksites. The government also reported that in 2020, 88 cases were filed against factory owners for child labor violations. (71) However, courts were closed for much of 2020, so the outcome of these cases and whether financial penalties were imposed are unknown. When discovered, children are not referred to schools or other social safety net programs, and research has found that it is possible they find work elsewhere. (31)

A previous reciprocal referral mechanism existed between labor authorities and social services. However, in 2020, research indicates that this reciprocal referral mechanism no longer exists. (71)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2020, criminal law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh took actions to combat child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of criminal law enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including publicly releasing criminal law enforcement information.

In 2020, the government constituted and funded seven anti-trafficking in persons tribunals to handle human trafficking cases. The tribunals functioned virtually until August 2020 when in-person court hearings resumed. (51)

During the reporting period, some police accepted bribes to not check documentation that workers in registered brothels were older than age 18 and to procure falsified documents for workers, some as young as age 10. (39) In addition, the government did not provide specific information on criminal law enforcement efforts against child labor crimes for inclusion in this report. However, research has found a small number of cases during the reporting period in which police arrested brick kiln owners for alleged abuse of child workers. (85) The government also reported initiating prosecutions against 333 defendants for forced labor crimes and 184 defendants for alleged sex trafficking crimes in 2020, while continuing prosecutions against 340 defendants indicted in previous reporting periods. The government did not provide disaggregated information as to whether any of these cases involved child victims. (51)

The government has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 8). However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts to address child labor, including a lack of capacity to operate effectively.

The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including incorporating child labor elimination and prevention strategies into the National Education Policy

‡ The government had other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor. (76)

The government has a National Education Policy that sets the compulsory age for free education through eighth grade (age 14). However, the government has yet to include child labor elimination and prevention strategies into the National Education Policy. (76)

In 2020, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, issues exist in these social programs, including lack of adequate programs to address the full scope of the problem.

† Program is funded by the Government of Bangladesh.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (51,99)

The Ministry of Labor and Employment is expected to conduct a national survey on child labor by 2021. (8)

Research has found that the government's social programs often align with the priorities of various funders, and lack coordination among relevant ministries to address the cross-cutting nature of child labor issues. (2) In addition, while Bangladesh has other hotlines beyond the Child Help Line 1098, including the 16357 DIFE hotline to report labor law violations, and the national 109 hotline to report violence against women and children, the number of complaints received through these hotlines related to child labor and the government responses to them are unknown. (71)

Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Bangladesh (Table 11).

1. McGoogan, Cara, and Muktadir Rashid. Satellites reveal 'child slave camps' in Unesco-protected park in Bangladesh. The Telegraph. October 23, 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/10/23/satellites-reveal-child-slave-camps-in-unesco-protected-park-in/
2. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. January 14, 2021.
3. Boseley, Sarah. Plight of child workers facing cocktail of toxic chemicals exposed by report. The Guardian. March 21, 2017. Source on file.
4. Kenny, Justin. Bangladesh’s billion dollar leather industry has a problem with child labor and toxic chemicals. PBS NewsHour. March 29, 2017.
   http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/bangladesh-leather-factories-child-labor-pollution/
5. PBS NewsHour. Bangladesh’s leather industry exposes workers and children to toxic hazards. March 29, 2017.
   https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/bangladeshs-leather-industry-exposes-workers-and-children-to-toxic-hazards
6. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 3, 2021. For more information, please see “Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
   http://data.uis.unesco.org/
7. ILO. Analysis of Child Economic Activity and School Attendance Statistics from National Household or Child Labor Surveys. Original data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS 6), 2019. Analysis received March 2021. Please see “Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
8. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. January 16, 2020.
9. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Child Labor Survey Bangladesh 2013. October 2015.
   https://www.ilo.org/ipec/Informationresources/WCMS_IPEC_PUB_28175/lang--en/index.htm
10. Bhalla, Nita. British American Tobacco vows to investigate child workers in Bangladeshi farms. Reuters. June 30, 2016. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-tobacco-child-labour-idUSKCN0ZG1QF
11. Allard, Tom, and Tommy Wilkes. Exclusive: $6 for 38 days work: Child exploitation rife in Rohingya camps. Reuters. November 12, 2017.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-exploitation/exclusive-6-for-38-days-work-child-exploitation-rife-in-rohingya-camps-idUSKBN1DD05A
12. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. February 13, 2018.
13. ILO. A Study Report on Working Conditions of Tea Plantations Workers in Bangladesh. 2016.
    https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-dhaka/documents/publication/wcms_563692.pdf
14. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Person Report - 2019: Bangladesh. Washington, DC, June 20, 2019.
    https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-trafficking-in-persons-report-2/bangladesh/
15. Arnold, Katie. Traffickers prey on lost Rohingya children in Bangladesh camps. Reuters. November 7, 2017.
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-rohingya-children-traffick/traffickers-prey-on-lost-rohingya-children-in-bangladesh-camps-idUSKBN1D8015
16. United Nations Treaty Collection. Statues of Treaties: XVIII 12.a. Accessed July 14, 2021.
    https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XVIII-12-a&chapter=18&clang=_en
17. Kaye, Leon. Early Warning Systems Reveal Child Labor in Bangladesh's Garment Industry. Triple Pundit. October 14, 2016. http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/10/early-warning-systems-reveals-child-labor-bangladeshs-garment-industry/
18. Theuws, Martje, et al. Branded Childhood: How garment brands contribute to low wages, long working hours, school dropout and child labour in Bangladesh. Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations. January 2017. https://www.somo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Branded-childhood-web.pdf
19. Asadullah, M. Niaz, and Zaki Wahhaj. Bangladesh’s garment industry: Child labour and options. The Himalayan Times. May 11, 2017.
    https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/bangladeshs-garment-industry-child-labour-options/
20. Agence France-Presse. Bangladeshi child labourer 'tortured to death' at textile mill. The Guardian. July 25, 2016.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/25/bangladeshi-child-labourer-tortured-to-death-at-textile-mill
21. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Baseline Survey for Determining Hazardous Child Labour Sectors in Bangladesh 2005. 2006. Source on file.
22. Mendoza, Martha, and Julhas Alam. Report examines grim Bangladesh leather trade, links to West. Associated Press. March 25, 2017.
    https://apnews.com/57003bedd3ae4e3e9d1633cf50effc31/Report-examines-grim-Bangladesh-leather-trade,-links-to-West#:~:text=DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) —,that investigates supply chains says
23. Ullah, Ahamed. Hazardous Child Labour Rampant in City, Outskirts. Daily Sun. February 23, 2017.
    http://www.daily-sun.com/post/207700/Hazardous-child-labour-rampant-in-city-outskirts
24. bdnews24.com. Four Children Burnt in Bangladesh Wallet Factory Fire. December 2, 2016.
    https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2016/12/01/four-children-burnt-in-bangladesh-wallet-factory-fire
25. Bangladesh Labor Welfare Foundation. Report: Baseline Study on Child Labor in the Keraniganj Apparel Hub. October 2016. http://www.blf-bd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Child_Labour_Keraniganj_Dhaka.pdf
26. Ul-Karim, Naim. Child Laborers in Bangladesh: Victims of Poverty. Xinhua General News Service. June 12, 2016. Source on file.
27. ILO-IPEC. Health Hazards of Child Labour in Brick Kiln of Bangladesh. Geneva. 2014.
    http://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/download.do?type=document&id=25296
28. Progga. Tobacco or Sustainable Development. June 2016.
    http://progga.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Tobacco-or-Sustainable-Development.pdf
29. Ahad, A.M. Poor Bangladesh Kids Work to Eat, Help Families. Associated Press. June 13, 2016.
    https://apnews.com/4d171c27724244d1ae4f4d8f4cb13c82/ap-photos-poor-bangladesh-kids-work-eat-help-families
30. Dhaka Tribune. Comilla brickfield owners continue to employ child labour. Dhaka Tribune, February 5, 2019.
    https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2019/02/05/comilla-brickfield-owners-continue-to-employ-child-labour#:~:text=Fear has spread among Comilla
31. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. July 1, 2021.
32. Daily Sun. 17 lakh children engaged in hazardous work. June 11, 2016.
    http://www.daily-sun.com/printversion/details/143455/17-lakh-children-aged-517-engaged-in-hazardous-work
33. Bengali, Shashank. Adult and underage workers risk their lives in Bangladesh's rising ship-breaking industry. LA Times. March 9, 2016. http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-bangladesh-ships-20160309-story.html
34. Chowdhury, Muhammod Shaheen. Study Report on Child Labour in the Shipbreaking Sector in Bangladesh. June 19, 2019. https://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Child20Labor20Final.pdf
35. Quattri, Maria, and Kevin Watkins. Child labour and Education: A survey of slum settlements in Dhaka. Overseas Development Institute. December 2016.
    https://www.odi.org/publications/10654-child-labour-and-education-survey-slum-settlements-dhaka
36. The Financial Express. BD fares well on cut in child labour. October 20, 2016. Source on file.
37. Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF). Hidden Slavery: Child Domestic Workers. March 2016.
    http://www.idwfed.org/en/resources/hidden-slavery-child-domestic-workers/@@display-file/attachment_1
38. Dhaka Tribune. Majority use children for hazardous work despite knowing about its consequences, study finds. Dhaka Tribune, November 2, 2019.
    https://www.dhakatribune.com/feature/2019/11/01/majority-use-children-for-hazardous-work-despite-knowing-about-its-consequences-study-finds
39. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2020: Bangladesh. Washington DC. June 25, 2020.
    https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-trafficking-in-persons-report/bangladesh/
40. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. July 9, 2020.
41. La Croix International. The hard reality of Bangladesh's child laborers. February 23, 2016. Source on file.
42. The Asian Age. Sylhet child workers doing hazardous jobs. February 24, 2017. Source on file.
43. IOM. IOM Bangladesh: Rohingya Refugee Crisis Response Situation Overview of Human Trafficking. October 2018.
    https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/iom-bangladesh-rohingya-refugee-crisis-response-situation-overview-human
44. Atkinson-Sheppard, Sally. The gangs of Bangladesh: Exploring organized crime, street gangs and ‘illicit child labourers’ in Dhaka. Criminology and Criminal Justice 16, no. 2 (2016).
    http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1748895815616445
45. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. July 15, 2018.
46. BBC. The Rohingya children trafficked for sex. March 20, 2018.
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43469043
47. The Daily Star. Cop arrested over child prostitution. The Daily Star, January 28, 2019.
    https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/cop-arrested-over-child-prostitution-1693840
48. Redfern, Corrine. The living hell of young girls enslaved in Bangladesh's brothels. The Guardian, July 6, 2019.
    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jul/06/living-hell-of-bangladesh-brothels-sex-trafficking
49. Doherty, Ben. Displaced Rohingya Children Left In Limbo By Refugee Crisis. The Guardian. January 31, 2018.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/01/devoid-of-hope-displaced-rohingya-children-are-vulnerable-to-trafficking-and-radicalisation
50. Yu, Sylvia. Trafficking Crisis Looms For Rohingya Refugees In Bangladesh. National Observer, December 1, 2017.
    https://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/12/01/news/trafficking-crisis-looms-rohingya-refugees-bangladesh
51. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. February 15, 2021.
52. The Daily Star. Torturing house helps: 3 sent to jail. The Daily Star, July 14, 2019.
    https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/torturing-house-helps-3-sent-jail-1771339
53. Dhaka Tribune. Domestic help murder: Female employer confesses to torturing Jannati. Dhaka Tribune, October 25, 2019. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/court/2019/10/25/domestic-help-murder-female-employer-confesses-to-torturing-jannati
54. Ain o Salish Kendra. Violence Against Domestic Worker (Jan-Dec 2020). December 31, 2020.
    http://www.askbd.org/ask/2020/12/31/violence-against-domestic-worker-jan-dec-2020/
55. Antara, Nawaz Farhin. MJF: Over 40% increase in child marriages in 2020. January 9, 2021.
    https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/01/09/mjf-44-increase-in-child-marriages-in-2020
56. U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2020: Bangladesh. Washington, DC. 2020. https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bangladesh/
57. IOM. Thousands at Risk of Trafficking Amid Rohingya Refugee Crisis. July 31, 2018.
    https://www.iom.int/news/thousands-risk-trafficking-amid-rohingya-refugee-crisis-iom
58. CNN Freedom Project. Stolen son: the child traffickers preying on the Rohingya. CNN, August 31, 2019.
    https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/31/asia/stolen-son-rohingya-coxs-bazar-intl/index.html
59. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. February 3, 2021.
60. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2018: Bangladesh. Washington, DC. June 28, 2018.
    https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-trafficking-in-persons-report/bangladesh/
61. Government of Bangladesh. Labour Law. Enacted: June 2, 2006. Source on file.
62. Ministry of Labor and Employment-Child Labor Unit. List of Worst Forms of Works for Children. 2013. Source on file.
63. Government of Bangladesh. Penal Code, Act No. XLV. Enacted: 1860. Source on file.
64. Government of Bangladesh. The Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act. Enacted: 2012.
    http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/543f75664.pdf
65. Government of Bangladesh. The Suppression of Violence Against Women and Children. Enacted: 2000. Source on file.
66. Government of Bangladesh. Children's Act, No. 24. Enacted: June 20, 2013. Source on file.
67. Government of Bangladesh. Pornography Control Act. Enacted: 2012. Source on file.
68. Bangladesh Air Force. Apply for Airman. Accessed August 6, 2020. https://baf.mil.bd/website/apply_for_airman.php
69. Bangladesh Army. Soldier. Accessed August 6, 2020. https://www.army.mil.bd/Soldier
70. UN. Commission on the Rights of the Child. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 44 of the Convention—Fifth periodic reports of States parties due in 2012. CRC/C/BGD/5. December 16, 2014. Source on file.
71. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. March 17, 2021.
72. Government of Bangladesh. Constitution. Enacted: March 26, 1971. Source on file.
73. Government of Bangladesh. Primary Education (Compulsory) Act, 1990. Enacted: 1990.
    http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/planipolis/files/ressources/bangladesh_primary_education_compulsory_act_1990.pdf
74. Government of Bangladesh. The Army Act, 1952. Enacted: 1952. Source on file.
75. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. January 28, 2019.
76. Government of Bangladesh. National Education Policy. 2010.
    http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/02.National-Education-Policy-2010-English.pdf
77. Ministry of Labor and Employment. U.S. Department of Labor Request for Information on Child Labor and Forced Labor. March 7, 2017. Source on file.
78. Ministry of Labor and Employment. Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments - About Us. Accessed June 5, 2020.
    http://www.dife.gov.bd/site/page/b2ef53e5-3049-4913-bc29-5ddcc015b712/About-Us
79. Ministry of Home Affairs. National Plan of Action for Combating Human Trafficking 2015-2017. January 2015. Source on file.
80. Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, Government of Bangladesh. Questions from U.S. Government. February 24, 2015. Source on file.
81. U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2018: Bangladesh. Washington, DC, March 14, 2018. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BANGLADESH-2018.pdf
82. Mazumder, Srabonty. Child Protection Network falls flat. The Financial Express. July 1, 2016. Source on file.
83. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. May 27, 2020.
84. UCA News. Bangladesh labor law changes planned. September 6, 2018.
    https://www.ucanews.com/news/bangladesh-labor-law-changes-planned/83260
85. Dhaka Tribune. Brick kiln workers or slaves? February 12, 2021.
    https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/02/12/brick-kiln-workers-or-slaves
86. ILO. ILO supports first meeting of national child labour council. May 26, 2015.
    http://www.ilo.org/dhaka/Whatwedo/Eventsandmeetings/WCMS_372579/lang--en/index.htm
87. The Independent. Call to curb cross border human trafficking. August 31, 2018.
    http://www.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/164236
88. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. February 13, 2020.
89. Government of Bangladesh. National Plan of Action for Implementing the National Child Labour Elimination Policy (2012–2016). 2013. http://www.gbv.de/dms/zbw/798813121.pdf
90. Government of Bangladesh. Seventh Five Year Plan (2016–2020). November 11, 2015.
    http://www.plancomm.gov.bd/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/7FYP_after-NEC_11_11_2015.pdf
91. Government of Bangladesh. Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy. Ministry of Labor and Employment. December 28, 2015. Source on file.
92. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. May 26, 2016.
93. Hasan, Kamrul. Five year NPA for fighting human trafficking launched. Dhaka Tribune. December 3, 2018.
    https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/event/2018/12/03/five-year-npa-for-fighting-human-traffickinglaunched
94. Government of Bangladesh. National Plan of Action for Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking. 2018–2022. Source on file.
95. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. June 18, 2019.
96. ILO. Country Level Engagement and Assistance to Reduce (CLEAR) Child Labor Project Technical Progress Report. September 31, 2018. Source on file.
97. Winrock International. The Child Labor Improvements in Bangladesh (CLIMB). October 2019. Technical Progress Report. Source on File.
98. UNICEF. ‘Child Help Line-1098’ extended to support more vulnerable children. October 12, 2015: Press Release. Source on file.
99. U.S. Embassy- Dhaka. Reporting. February 23, 2016.
100. 100 New Age Bangladesh. Pesticide-treated dried fish exposes consumers to serious health risks in Bangladesh. September 14, 2018. http://www.newagebd.net/article/50554/pesticide-treated-dried-fish-exposes-consumers-to-serious-health-risks
101. 101 Reuters. Bangladeshi slum kids work over 60 hours a week to make clothes: research. December 7, 2016. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-children-labour/bangladeshi-slum-kids-work-over-60-hours-a-week-to-make-clothes-research-idUSKBN13W1YL
102. 102 The Guardian. Child labour ‘rampant’ in Bangladesh factories, study reveals. December 7, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/dec/07/child-labour-bangladesh-factories-rampant-overseas-development-institute-study
103. 103 Project Syndicate. Mending Bangladesh’s Garment Industry. May 1, 2017. https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/bangladesh-garment-industry-child-labor-by-m-niaz-asadullah-and-zaki-wahhaj-2017-05
104. 104 ILO. Observation (CEACR) – adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021). 2019. https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID:4019764