Unravelling the interlinkages: agency and vulnerability of hazardous child labour in Bangladesh

Abstract

The prevalence of child labour in Bangladesh is a major concern, exposing children to hazardous working conditions with severe physical and psychological impacts on their well being. This ethnographic study investigates the interplay between the agency and vulnerability of child labourers in hazardous battery-recycling workshops, exploring the social, economic, and cultural factors that contribute to their vulnerability. The research posits that while addressing poverty and socio-­economic challenges is essential to combat child labour, a blanket ban on child labour in developing countries might be unfeasible due to complex economic factors. Therefore, the study suggests a middle ground between the ‘absolutist universalist’ and ‘contextualist’ approaches. This approach entails improving working conditions, enforcing age-related labour laws, and revising child labour policies to reflect the needs and views of children and their families. It emphasises participatory decision-making and introduces support measures for children compelled to work, including residential vocational schools and stipends. The study also advocates treating hazardous child labour as child abuse, legally combating it, and increasing public awareness against such practices. Additionally, the paper underscores the necessity of re-evaluating current social policies and thoroughly assessing anti-poverty initiatives to effectively curb child labour.

Keywords:

• Agency
• Bangladesh
• child labour
• poverty
• recycling workshops
• vulnerability

Acknowledgements

This work was not funded by any external source. The authors are grateful to the child workers who willingly participated in the study, despite facing resistance from their employers. The authors also wish to express their appreciation to the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which have significantly contributed to the paper’s current structure. Additionally, the authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Cynthia Isenhour of the University of Maine, USA, for her insightful comments and suggestions during the drafting process.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohammed Abdul Baten

Mohamed Abdul Baten, currently PhD candidate in Anthropology & Environmental Policy at the University of Maine, USA, specialises in the policy dimensions of natural resource management, informal economies, and identity politics, focusing on social agency and structure. As a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Science and Management at the Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) since 2012, and as an adjunct faculty member at both the University of Maine and University of Dhaka, Baten offers extensive academic and practical expertise. His tenure also includes serving as a Senior Research Associate at Unnayan Onneshan, a progressive Bangladeshi policy think tank. His contributions span a wide array of scholarly and popular articles on topics such as environmental governance, human rights, labour studies, and the anthropology of policy.

Shafiqul Alam

Shafiqul Alam is currently PhD candidate in Information Management at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Concurrently, he holds the position of Senior Lecturer (on study leave) in Human Resource Management (HRM) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). Mr. Shafiqul completed Master’s in HRM from Anglia Ruskin University, UK, and Bachelor’s in Management from Bangalore University, India. His research interests span diverse areas, including the collaboration between humans and technology, the issue of women’s exclusion from the factory floor, the agency and vulnerability of shop floor workers, and the profound impact of digital transformation on organisations and society, particularly with respect to informal workers.

Golam Mostofa

Mohammed Golam Mostofa currently holds a position as Inspector of Income Taxes at Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue. His professional journey includes prior service at Sadharan Bima Corporation, a state-operated general insurance entity. Academically, Mostofa acquired his undergraduate degree in Development Studies, followed by a specialisation in Public Policy and Governance. His research endeavours have been enriched by his collaborations with organisations such as the ‘Center for Budget and Policy’ at the University of Dhaka, the British Council of Bangladesh, and the NGO Forum for Public Health. Mostofa’s research interests are comprehensive and interdisciplinary, encompassing public policy analysis, issues pertaining to women and children, the pursuit of good governance, and the study of human development.