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Prevalence of Economic Exploitations and Their Determinants Among Child Labourers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh: A Mixed-Method Study

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Abstract

Taking unjust and unlawful benefits of children’s labour for someone’s gain or gratification can be termed as economic exploitations in child labour. The study aimed to explore the prevalence of economic exploitations and their determinants among child labourers (CLs). Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, and Kamrangirchar sub-districts of Dhaka district were rationally chosen as the areas of the study. The study adopted a mixed-method design, where a proportional probability sampling was used. A list of 1753 CLs comprising 543, 587 and 626 from the selected study areas was prepared through a short enumeration survey and 324 CLs were interviewed systematically from the list to collect quantitative data using a face-to-face structured interview schedule. The study also collected qualitative data through 15 in-depth case interviews (five from each sub-district). Multivariate logistic regression was employed to determine the associated factors with the economic exploitations. Thematic analysis was followed, and then a concurrent technique was employed for data analysis. Results showed that 97% of the CLs were economically exploited. The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that the socio-economic and occupational factors were significantly associated with these economic exploitations in different variables used in the study. On the other hand, the qualitative findings showed that the CLs were physically and verbally abused, engaged long working hours with less than minimum wage, involved in various hazardous jobs while hardly received treatment costs due to occupational injury. Finding would be an important guideline for the governmental and non-governmental organizations, policymakers, human rights workers and development practitioners in the related field.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would acknowledge three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. The authors also acknowledge all of the child labourers who participated in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Transparency International Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Kazi Abusaleh

  2. Institute of Social Welfare and Research, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh

    M. Rezaul Islam

  3. School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

    M. Rezaul Islam

  4. Department of Social Work, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    M. Rezaul Islam

  5. Department of Sociology and Social Work, Gono Bishwabidyalay (University), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Md. Mokter Ali

  6. Health Services Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Mohammad Asif Khan

  7. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life and Earth Science, Jagannath University, Dhaka, 1100, Bangladesh

    Md. Shahinuzzaman

  8. Departments of Public Health, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh

    Md. Imdadul Haque

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  1. Kazi Abusaleh
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Contributions

All authors except the second author were involved in study design, data analysis, data interpretation, literature search and writing the paper and had final approval of the submitted and published versions. The second author has revised the full paper according to both reviewers’ comments. He has reviewed a substantial amount of literature for the conceptual framework, methodology and discussion section. He has done the language editing of the paper. None of the authors has any competing interests in the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kazi Abusaleh.

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There is no ethical body in Bangladesh. However, the informed consent was taken from the children, parents/guardians and owners of the.

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Abusaleh, K., Islam, M.R., Ali, M.M. et al. Prevalence of Economic Exploitations and Their Determinants Among Child Labourers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh: A Mixed-Method Study. Child Ind Res 15, 87–106 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-021-09862-9

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