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they arrive in a critical, near-fatal condition, or when a body finally appears in the media.”

The study also found that nearly 60 percent of child domestic workers had no fixed working hours. Children as young as 10 were routinely forced into nine-hour shifts, while older children often worked over 12 hours a day.

Almost one-third earned Tk 500-Tk 1,000 a month; five percent earned less than Tk 500 and only 10 percent more than Tk 3,000. About 64 percent never received wages directly, with payments collected by parents or guardians.

‘LEGAL SHIELDS A CONSOLATION PRIZE’

Abul Hossain, acting coordinator of the Domestic Workers Rights Network, said only three chapters of the Labour Act apply to domestic work: freedom of association, workplace injury compensation, and access to labour courts.

“Crucially, the entire chapter on child labour protections and age restrictions has been excluded for private households. As a result, the national minimum working age of 14 does not apply to domestic work, leaving the weak 2015 policy in place, which allows children as young as 12 to be employed under the guise of ‘light work’.”

Describing the provisions as a “consolation prize”, he said children confined to private homes cannot exercise trade union rights, which require at least 20 members and formal documents such as appointment letters or identity cards -- none of which domestic workers possess.

“The Labour Court does not rely on verbal statements; it requires written evidence. But these children have no appointment letters or records specifying their wages or working hours,” he said, adding that compensation frameworks designed for industrial accidents fail to address abuse such as burns and starvation.

CALL FOR ‘OUTRIGHT BAN’

With the 2030 SDG deadline to eliminate child labour approaching, experts say stronger action is needed.

Laila Khondkar, convenor of Shishurai Shob, said placing domestic work on the hazardous occupations list is an urgent first step.

“Inclusion of this in the list will send a signal to society that child domestic work is unacceptable. The government and non-government organisations, employers, community members and parents will have to perform their responsibilities to ensure that children engaged in hazardous work are gradually reintegrated with families and have access to education and other skills development opportunities, which will give them an opportunity to engage in decent employment in future.”

Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed, executive director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, called for an outright ban.

“Domestic child labour should not merely be classified as hazardous; it must be completely and unequivocally banned,” he told The Daily Star. “Even one case is harmful to society. Why should a child work in someone else’s home?”

He identified three key issues: weak enforcement of justice, poverty, and discrimination, particularly against girls.

“I encountered a case at DMCH where a father had not seen his daughter in six years. He received Tk 2,000 a month via mobile banking, completely unaware that she was being systematically tortured.”

“With the amount of money spent to eliminate child labour, no child in Bangladesh should have remained outside rehabilitation. The funds have simply been distributed without proper impact,” he added, calling for a white paper to prevent further waste and ensure the effective use of funds.