Bangladesh's Care Economy: A Call for Reform to Protect Children's Rights

A recent report sheds light on the significant yet underutilized care economy in Bangladesh, emphasizing the need for reform to protect children's rights. With a growing reliance on child labor, the report calls for formalizing the sector and ensuring fair wages for adult workers. It highlights the alarming rise in child domestic labor and stresses the importance of policy changes to safeguard vulnerable children. The report advocates for the enforcement of laws to protect domestic workers and urges support for families to keep children in school rather than forcing them into labor. This pressing issue calls for immediate attention to create a more equitable and just care economy.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 27, 2026, 13:20 IST

Overview of Bangladesh's Care Economy

Representational Image

New Delhi, July 27: A recent report highlights that Bangladesh's care economy represents a significant yet largely untapped economic potential. However, it emphasizes that this sector cannot rely on child labor and must be formalized to ensure decent working conditions and rights for workers.

The report, published by a Dhaka-based outlet, indicates that the care economy is valued at approximately 18.9% of the nation's GDP. Despite its importance, it remains largely unregulated, with many families depending on underage domestic workers to fulfill the increasing demand for household and caregiving services.

According to statistics from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF, child labor is on the rise, with an estimated 9.2% of children aged five to 17 engaged in work.

Historically, it was common for poorer relatives to reside with Bangladeshi families, based on an unspoken agreement where food, shelter, and often education were provided in exchange for assistance with household chores.

However, this arrangement has diminished over time. As urban lifestyles have become busier and more transactional, families are less inclined to take on the long-term responsibilities associated with hosting relatives, as noted in the report.

Currently, households are looking for labor that is faster and cheaper, with fewer demands. Consequently, they increasingly turn to the most vulnerable group: children from impoverished rural backgrounds.

The report stresses that only comprehensive policy changes can revitalize this sector. This includes formalizing the care economy and employing adults who receive fair, standardized minimum wages.

Moreover, it calls for the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy to be enacted into law, complete with inspections, significant penalties, and effective enforcement against employers and agencies that hire underage workers.

"Supporting struggling families means ensuring parents can earn enough to keep their children in school, rather than shifting the burden of survival onto a 10-year-old," the report concluded.