Some 343 household workers, of whom 62 per cent were children, faced physical repression during the last five years, according to a survey of Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS). BILS revealed this through conducting a newspaper survey from September 2000 to September 2005. BILS Secretary General Jafrul Hassan while addressing a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity Thursday, on the occasion of World Children Day 2005, said that about 169 maidservants had died due to repression during that period. Among them, over 85 were between the age of 5 and 15 years. Hassan submitted a set of recommendations, which includes announcement of a child labour policy, proper initiative to co-support ILO 'Homework Convention-177', implementation of other necessary law for ensuring child rights. He alleged that the perpetrators of such repression faced a very minimum penalty despite the existence of a labour law in this connection. He also announced programmes of BILS from October 1-3 next as a part of celebration of World Children Day. BILS advisor Abul Bashar, members Mejbah Uddin Ahmed and ABM Sazzad Hossain, among others, were present on the occasion.
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