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Many businessmen are yet not aware of child rights

Mahbubur Rahman Khan
EVEN though children are a key stakeholder in businesses as consumers and young workers, they are being deprived of their rights in wholesale since most of the businessmen are unaware of child rights.
To contain children's right violation and increase awareness, coordinated efforts among the stakeholders are needed, observed right activists.
Businessmen engage children in hazardous work as child labour is lucrative to them as cheap workforce. On the other hand, many parents often push their children even into dangerous works to meet financial crisis.
From Hazaribag to Sowarirghat or Nawabpur to Sadarghat children are found working in hazardous environment in different industries and manufacturing units. Some are found collecting and drying toxic leather while some are working as helper of bus or human-hauler. Not only that, children are engaged in risky works in different industries including engineering workshops; balloon, glass and battery manufacturing factories.
Mamun, 13, who works at HH Automobile Engineering Workshop in Jatrabari in the capital was found risking his life in welding a bumper of an auto-rickshaw without wearing * * From Hazaribag to Sowarirghat or
Nawabpur to Sadarghat children are found working in hazardous environment in different industries and manufacturing units.^
any protective glasses.
Usually his job is to load and unload materials with adult workers on and from trucks. Sometimes he does welding when his boss takes a nap at noon.
He told this correspondent that his father who was an auto-rickshaw driver lost a leg in an accident and mother works as a domestic help.
“I can't tolerate hunger. If I don't work here I'll have to starve”, Mamun said, adding that he has three younger siblings at home.
"My family was modestly well-off. I went to school. But after my father's accident we become poor”, said Mamun. He gets Tk 400 in a week.
In response to questions, propri-
etor of the workshop Mostafa took some time to understand what is child right and business principle.
It is not that much risky work and he (Mamun) performs it well, said Mostafa softly tapping on Mamun's shoulder.
On June 30, 2012, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) together with Save the Children and UN Global Compact's Bangladesh partner CSR Centre released 'Children's Rights and Business Principles' in Bangladesh -- a call to businesses to step up their efforts to respect and support children's rights in workplace, marketplace and community regardless of their size, sector, location, ownership and structure.
The 10-point principle includes --elimination of child labour; providing decent work for young workers, parents and caregaviers; protection and safety of children in all business activities; ensuring safe products and services; children's right supportive marketing and advertising method; respecting children's rights in land acquisition and security arrangements; protection of children affected by emergencies; and reinforcement of community and government efforts to protect and fulfill children's rights.
Paul Hohnen, an independent consultant on sustainability, says that the principles clearly identified all the key areas affecting children's rights and are placed in one set of
document which is compatible with the existing international legal commitments and statements around children's rights.
With reference to the importance of child rights and business ethics, UNICEF Representative Pascal
Villeneuve in a workshop said, “Child rights are an essential investment in our sustainable future. Human rights apply to all children. Safeguarding these rights helps build strong, well-educated communities that are vital to creating a stable,
inclusive and productive business environment.”
(Continuous dialogue with the corporate houses is required on the issue as it would not be realistic to expect that the private sector will be able to adopt all the principles at once.