RAJSHAHI, May 22 (V7N)– Despite widespread discourse on women's progress, female workers in Bangladesh continue to face significant discrimination, while child labor persists across various dangerous sectors. A recent investigation in Rajshahi revealed the plight of these vulnerable populations.

On a field visit to the Sapura area of Rajshahi, two visibly fatigued female workers, Rokeya Begum and Sultana Akhter, were observed toiling on a road construction site. Alongside them was Anik, a fifteen-year-old boy, engaged in physically demanding work. The stark reality of wage disparity was evident: male workers on the same site received a daily wage of 500 taka, while their female counterparts were paid only 400 taka.

Rokeya Begum, a daily wage worker for 12 years, lamented her situation: "We work just as hard as the boys, yet we get paid less than them. We endure everything for the sake of our stomachs. We have no other option."

Sultana Akhter echoed the sentiment of resignation. "Even though I am sick, I have to come to work," she said. "We are not as strong as men, so we get less wages. We don't even dare to ask for more money, we have to be satisfied with what we are given."

Anwarul Haque, who supervises the road work, offered a justification for the wage gap. "Women can do less work than men, they also have physical problems. That's why their salaries are lower," he explained. "In fact, if we hire them, we lose more than we gain, but we have to hire them for humanitarian reasons. And that little boy came and requested it himself, so we took him. If we give everyone the same wage, we will lose."

The reasons for child labor were heartbreakingly clear. Anik Hasan, the fifteen-year-old, shared his story: "Last year, my father died, my mother is sick, and my sister has grown up. I have taken on the responsibility of the family. I studied up to class six, but after that I could not continue my studies. Now, pulling bricks is my life."

Similarly, Habibul Bashar, a 16-year-old working at a motorcycle garage near the Nagar Bhaban intersection, has also sacrificed his childhood for livelihood. "I used to go to school," he recounted. "My father later sent me here to work. I work from morning to evening. I get 8 taka every month, most of which I have to pay at home. I go with the rest of the money."

Another child, 10-year-old Tipu, also works at the Nagar Bhavan motor garage. He began working after his father's death, with his mother employed nearby.

Md. Al Amin Hossain, the owner of 'Al Amin Motors', where Bashar works, stated, "I didn't keep Bashar on purpose, his father himself came and requested him. So I give him work within my means. He is asked to do only what he can."

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