The clothes on your back: Factory kids

Summary

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, children as young as 10 work long hours in garment factories, stitching shirts, pants, and intricate embroidered designs. These children, often from rural areas with limited access to education, endure grueling 12-hour shifts with little rest. Despite the harsh conditions, many workers express satisfaction with their jobs as they receive room and board in exchange for their labor. The cycle of child labor in Dhaka's garment industry is pervasive, with kids working in both indoor factories and open-air workshops, contributing to the local wholesale garment trade.

Takeaways

• 😀 Child labor remains widespread in Bangladesh, with many children working in factories from early morning to late at night.
• 😀 In Dhaka's Riverside Factory, children as young as 11 or 12 are involved in garment production, including stitching shirts and pants.
• 😀 Undercover reporting revealed that even managers in some factories are children as young as 9 years old.
• 😀 Young workers, including both boys and girls, operate industrial sewing machines and perform intricate embroidery tasks on garments like shalwar kameez.
• 😀 Many children work long hours, from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, to meet demand for Eid-specific garments like dresses with sequins.
• 😀 Some children, like those working with sequins, report feeling content with their jobs despite the long hours.
• 😀 The children working in Dhaka often come from rural Bangladesh, where access to schooling is limited, driving them into labor.
• 😀 Workers at some factories live on-site and sleep at their workstations due to the long hours and difficult conditions.
• 😀 A 10-year-old boy, Shakeel Khan, works for over 12 hours a day, stitching over 1400 shirts during his shift, while also receiving room and board.
• 😀 The pervasive nature of child labor is evident across the streets of Old Dhaka, where virtually every factory employs children like Shakeel.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video transcript?

The main focus is on child labor in garment factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where children as young as 10 years old are involved in stitching, sewing, and working long hours in poor conditions.

What age group of children is primarily involved in the garment factories in Dhaka?

Children as young as 10 years old, including many preteens around 11 or 12, are involved in the garment factories in Dhaka.

How long do the children typically work in the garment factories?

The children often work from 9:00 AM until 9:00 PM, resulting in long 12-hour shifts.

Why do many children from rural Bangladesh come to Dhaka for work?

Many children come to Dhaka from rural Bangladesh where schooling is not an option, leading them to seek work in the garment factories.

What tasks do the children perform in the factories?

The children perform tasks like stitching garments, including shalwar kameez and golf shirts, as well as handling tasks like gluing sequins onto dresses and operating large industrial machines.

How do the children feel about their work according to the transcript?

The children, as described in the transcript, say they are happy to be working, possibly due to the lack of other options available to them.

How does the factory environment affect the children’s work life?

The factory environment is harsh, with many children working long hours without proper breaks, and some even sleeping at their workstations after shifts because they don't go home.

What is the significance of the child named Shakeel Khan?

Shakeel Khan, a 10-year-old boy from Chandpur, represents the extreme example of child labor in the garment industry, working for over 12 hours a day and handling more than 1400 shirts in a single shift.

What does the term 'open-air factory' refer to in this context?

An 'open-air factory' refers to a factory where children work outside, in less regulated environments, such as the one where boys aged 11 and 12 stitch garments for local wholesalers.

What is the relationship between the children’s work and the upcoming Eid festival?

The children’s work, such as gluing sequins onto dresses, is linked to preparing for the Eid festival, suggesting that the garment production is aligned with demand for festival clothing.