I have experience of working in both FAO and ILO covering the agriculture sector and child labor respectively. Hence from that I like to address the cross-sectoral policies and strategies issue, issue #7. Like any other country, Bangladesh is also very much concerned with child labor. The government drafted a new law in 2018 that raised the minimum age from 12 to 14, i.e. now children aged 14-18 can be involved in light work (Bangladeshi gov't approves draft law banning child labor).
There are around 5 million working children (age group 5-14) in Bangladesh, 28% of whom are girls, as found in an ILO survey on child labor in Bangladesh. So it is obvious that at least girls are somehow comparatively spare in child labour. Out of the total child workforce, around 56% work in the agriculture. But comparative more girls work in the agriculture sector (55% of the working boys and 59% of the working girls work in the agriculture). So there is a policy issue. Though comparatively less number of girls than boys work as child labors, they (girls) bear the burden of agriculture works more than the boys do. It can also be concluded that in the rural areas (as related to agriculture), girls are being engaged more in child labor. Bangladesh cannot yet eradicate child marriage particularly for the girls (approved age of marriage for girls is 18). So often the girls after marriage remain as a child labor, bearing a huge burden.
In Bangladesh agriculture labor is not scarce. However, children are used in agriculture as free or very cheap labor, also often as family labors. Bangladesh until now has compulsory primary education (up to grade 5) only (i.e., age 12). There is a discussion to raise that up to junior level (grade 8, ie, age 15/16). When that it would be done, the child labor would be reduced to come extent.
Dr. AMM Zowadul Karim Khan