Md. Farhad Siddique, Inspector General (Additional Secretary) of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, said that everyone must step forward to eliminate child labour. There is no alternative to collective efforts. He said that having laws alone is not enough; everyone must have the commitment to implement them.
He made these remarks as the chief guest at a seminar organized by the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, implemented by YPSA, and supported by Solidar Suisse. The seminar was held on 19 October 2026 at Hotel Sea Palace in Cox’s Bazar.
Highlighting various aspects of child labour, the Inspector General said, “If we fail to build a bright future for today’s children, our own future will not be bright, because our future depends on them.” He also highlighted various aspects of hazardous child labour in Cox’s Bazar.
The seminar was chaired by Arif Ahmed Khan, Additional Inspector General and Joint Secretary of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments. Engineer Farid Ahammad, Joint Inspector General, and Mosammat Julia Jesmin, Joint Inspector General, attended as special guests.
Mohammad Ali Shaheen, Head of Advocacy at YPSA, was the keynote speaker at the seminar. He analyzed different aspects of hazardous child labour in the context of Cox’s Bazar and highlighted YPSA’s role in addressing the issue. His documentary-based presentation showed how children from climate-displaced families become involved in child labour and how YPSA’s interventions are helping to bring them out of it.
The seminar was moderated by Mortaza Morshed, Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.
Other participants in the discussion included Mohammad Farid Ahmed, Programme Manager at Solidar Suisse; Subrata Biswas, Deputy Director of the Department of Women Affairs; Moazzem Hossain, Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Development; Bashir Uddin, Assistant Inspector; Zahidul Islam, an official of the Department of Narcotics Control; Forkan Mahmud, Vice-President of the Hotel-Motel Owners’ Association; Shafiul Alam, General Secretary of the Electricians’ Association; and Ziaur Rahman, General Secretary of the Dried-Fish Factory Owners’ Association, among others.
At the beginning of the meeting, a documentary titled “Adommo,” produced by Radio Sagargiri on child labour in Cox’s Bazar, was screened.
It may be noted that YPSA has long worked jointly with the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments as a member of the district- and upazila-level Child Labour Monitoring Committees, contributing to efforts to eliminate hazardous child labour.
