For children along the coastline, life is not a canvas of dreams but a battlefield for survival. Their days begin with the struggle to earn, and nights sink into uncertainty. Poverty clings to them like an invisible weight—robbing them of school, safety, and the simple joy of being children. At an age meant for books and play, they carry nets, shovels, and hammers. Even many remain unaware of their rights.
Hazardous work expands across sectors
Child labour in the coastal districts, including Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Pirojpur and Satkhira, has spread far beyond fish landing stations and small-scale fishing. Children now toil in agriculture, brick kilns, roadside hotels, rickshaw garages, and even dangerous workshops and dockyards. Each job exposes them to injury, exploitation, and psychological trauma. In Dhalua union, 15-year-old Ayon should have been in school like his peers. But his father’s death last year pushed him into the harsh world of adult labour. His mother works as a domestic help; a younger sister depends on him. Ayon abandoned his studies and now works as a farm labourer—carrying the burden of survival on his young shoulders.
Childhood choked by brick kilns
Brick kilns roar with activity for much of the year in Sadar, Patharghata and Amtali upazilas. But beneath the smoke lies a grim picture. Children aged 8 to 16 are toiling under the sun, carrying clay, drying raw bricks, and hauling loads far beyond their strength. Low wages make children an easy target for kiln owners. In Dhupti area, 11-year-old Sujon smashes bricks with a hammer, his tiny hands blistered from long shifts. “When I stop, they cut my pay,” he says. “I wanted to study, but who will feed my family? The heat makes it hard to breathe, but I keep working… the stove at home won’t light without my income.”
From helpers to drivers: Children on the roads
Once a common sight only in big cities, child bus and Mahindra helpers are now seen across the coastal belt. They load luggage, guide passengers, and often—even illegally—grab the steering wheel. Limon, now 24, began as a helper at just 13 after losing his mother. “When I see schoolchildren on the road, my heart aches,” he says. “I studied till class eight. After that, life didn’t give me a choice.”
Children also engage in other hazardous jobs
In coastal bazars and tourist zones, young boys can be seen serving food, washing dishes, greeting customers, and cleaning floors—often from dawn till midnight. Business owners prefer them because they work long hours for minimal pay. Boat repair yards and metal workshops expose children to blades, welding sparks, and heavy machinery. Thirteen-year-old Abdullah, from Barguna’s Launch Ghat area, works full-time in a workshop to support his rickshaw-puller father. From Barguna to Patharghata, it’s common to see 12-14-year-olds pedalling rickshaws in the salty morning breeze. Poverty, river erosion, and joblessness push them onto the streets. Fourteen-year-old Rahim from Aylapatakata starts riding at dawn to buy medicine for his bedridden father. “My legs go numb from pedalling all day,” he says.
Why are coastal children turning to risky jobs?
Interviews with over a hundred child workers reveal a distressing truth: most joined hazardous work due to extreme poverty. School closures during the pandemic accelerated dropout rates, forcing thousands into hazardous jobs—fish drying yards, brick kilns, workshops, tea stalls, and transport hubs. Natural disasters—cyclones, tidal surges and river erosion—destroy homes and livelihoods, pushing children into the workforce for family survival.
Health risks and national trends
Doctors warn that child workers face severe health risks. Dr. Rezowanur Alam, Superintendent of Barguna General Hospital, says, “Dust, salt-laden air, fish odour, and metal particles damage young lungs. Many suffer from asthma, chronic cough, eye irritation, skin infections, fungal disease, diarrhoea and malnutrition.”
According to a report, “Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024” released by ILO and UNICEF on 12 June 2025, in Bangladesh, child labour decreased from 3.2% (2013) to 2.7% (2022), but overall child labour increased from 8.7% to 8.9%. The number of child workers is now 3.5 million, and about 1 million are involved in hazardous jobs. Labour Adviser Brig Gen (retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain said that penalties for employing child workers will soon be increased and definitions of child labour updated.
A future on shaky ground
Child labour in coastal Bangladesh is no longer a hidden reality—it is the new normal for thousands growing up in the shadow of storms, hunger, and loss. Unless strong, sustained and long-term interventions are taken, the cycle of generational poverty and exploitation will tighten further. For now, the children of the coast continue to trade their childhood for survival—working in the fields, on the roads, in the kilns and on the sea—while their dreams fade silently into the salty wind.
