ASIA/BANGLADESH - Children forced to work 64 hours every week

Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) - The children who live in the Bangladeshi slums are often forced to work 64 hours a week in textile factories of major international brands. This is what emerges from a study carried out by the British organization Overseas Development Institute (ODI) just published, news of which was sent to Fides. 15% of children between 6 and 14 years of age of the poorest neighborhoods of Dhaka do not attend school because they work full-time. The figure rises to 50% among those under 14. Two-thirds of the working children are engaged in the textile sector, which represents 30 billion dollars in the booming economy of Bangladesh. Many children would like to go to school but "poverty forces parents to seek employment for their children, even knowing that this has serious long-term risks", says the study. The manager of a textile laboratory admitted there are children between 11 to 14 years of age who work in his factory, but does not consider it illegal. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 09/12/2016)

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