Labour ministry, bKash sign stipend disbursement deal to eradicate child labour

The Ministry of Labour and Employment and mobile financial service provider bKash have signed an agreement to disburse stipends among 100,000 children under a project to eradicate child labour through non-formal education and skill development.

The agreement was signed at a city hotel on Monday to implement the project, titled Eradication of Hazardous Child Labour Project (Phase-1), according to a press release.

Under the project, Tk 1,000 will be provided to each of the 100,000 children per month as stipends.

Besides, 10,000 child labourers will get Tk 13,000 as seed money through bKash.

The press release said beneficiaries can receive the stipend money without any cost through their guardian’s bKash account.

Apart from stipend and seed money, six-month-long non-formal education and four-month long skill development training for 100,000 children, creating awareness on the bad impact of child labour and developing database and tracking system will also be implemented under the project.

112 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working as partners to implement the project.

Presided over by Labour and Employment Ministry’s Secretary Md. Ehsan-E-Elahi, State Minister Begum Monnujan Sufian was also present at the signing ceremony.

Project Director Md Monowar Hossain and CEO of bKash Kamal Quadir signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides. Among others, Additional Secretary (Development Wing) Dr Selina Akhtar, and senior officials were also present at the event.