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BGMEA postpones deadline regarding child labour

By Staff Correspondent
The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and exporters' Association (BGMEA) yesterday decided to postpone the October 31 deadline to eliminate child labour at export-oriented garments factories of the country.
On July 4 last the BGMEA had pledged to eliminate all child labour from the garments industry to comply with a US Senate Bill which proposes to bar American import of all industrial goods which 'might . have been made with the use of child labour. ‘
The Bill, placed before the American Senate by Senator Tom Harkins, would have had affected garments exports to the United States because the industry here uses child labour.
The BGMEA tertainatad 15.0X1 children Uw** ‘ ... . .'k
ferent factories ta^st year and was continuing the process to comply with the Harkins Bill, expected to become law next year.
The Bill stresses that children bplow 14 years of age should go to school instead of working.
The BGMEA opened a school for the working children last July and planned to rehabilitate them with the help of the Unicef. the International Labour Organisatipn (ILO). the Asian-American Free Labour Institute (AAFLI). the Underprivileged -Childrens Education Programmes (UC-EP) and the Gano Shahajya Sangstha (GSS).
At a meeting between these organisations. BGMEA president Redwan Ahmed MP noted that the garments factory own- *
ers were willing to meet their pledge .to eliminate child labour but they apprehended that such action would bring the retrenched children only miseries unless opportunities to provide them education and other facilities were not created first. They might be pushed into adopting more demanding ways for earning their livelihood and may even take,to crimes.
On this humanitarian consideration the BGMEA noted that the organisation would reassess its earlier commitment.
The Unicef. UCEP. GSS and
AAFLI. on the other hand, suggested that a more comprehensive programme should be taken up to provide professional education facilities fot displaced children and other services to reduce the risk that dismissed children might be placed abruptly into a more difficult situation;
According to this suggestion, the BGMEA president agreed to postpone its deadline until a more professional schooling system and other measures were taken for the affected children.
The GSS. UCEP, Unicef. ILO and AAFLI agreed to strongly support the BGMEA irf its determination to progressively eliminate child labour and that the process would begin in the near future, a press release said.