Dhaka: The High Court in a verdict on Tuesday prohibited the employment of children below 12 years as domestic help in the country. The HC also directed the government to recognise the domestic workers as workers under the Labour Law.
It also asked the authorities concerned to provide facilities to the domestic workers, like workers in other organizations.
After hearing on a writ petition, filed by the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) with the HC, seeking necessary directives to protect the interests of the domestic helps, the HC bench of Justice M Imman Ali and Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif on Tuesday passed the orders.
The HC also asked the authorities concerned to ensure all kinds of facilities, including safety and education for domestic helps, aged between 12 to 18 years across the country.
Advocate Fahima Nasrin, counsel for the petitioner termed the verdict as a landmark judgement for treating the domestic help as labour in the verdict.
She also noted that such type of verdict is needed under the circumstance of the country in the interests of the domestic workers.
It also asked the authorities concerned to take initiatives for registration of all the domestic helps in the country.
“If any domestic worker wants to continue with his/her studies, the authorities concerned should provide them with the facilities,” the verdict said.
The HC asked the government to take initiatives for monitoring whether the domestic workers were sexually harassed or abused by their masters in the country.
The HC also asked the authorities concerned to ensure proper punishment against the violators, in case of filing of any cases by the victims.
It also asked the government to bring an amendment as per the verdict to the National Child Policy 2011, aiming to provide more facilities for the children working as domestic helps.
The cabinet body on Monday approved the policy at its regular weekly meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
As per the policy all aged up to 18 years would be treated as children and their rights were ensured indiscriminately in the new policy.
After the HC directives Nasrin told The Independent that before the verdict none of the domestic servants were treated as a labour. But, following the verdict all the domestic helps would be recognized as
labour.
Following some incidents on torture on the domestic helps across the country, the BNWLA filed a writ petition with the High Court on May 4 last year, seeking necessary orders to prevent the harassment of the domestic helps by their masters. The HC earlier issued a rule upon the government in this regard.
After final hearing on the petition the HC on Tuesday passed the orders.
Advocate Fahima Nasrin appeared for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain represented the government.
