The speakers also urged the government to take effective steps in this regard.

The roundtable was orgainsed by Bangladesh Trade Union Centre (TUC), which is working to eliminate child labour from tobacco industries and establish rights of tobacco workers. The programme was held on Thursday with assistance from International Labour Organisation (ILO).

At least 5000 children and 20,000 labourers are working in eight big tobacco factories in Kushtia, sources said.

Of them, about 2000 have been taken out of tobacco factories by TUC and Setu, a local non-government organisation with the help of ILO and the International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). The programme is going on.

TUC's programme coordinator Ahasanul Haq told the meeting that they are trying to reach agreements with tobacco factory owners to take more children out of factories and to ensure rights of other workers.

Tobacco workers have no government determined salary structure and social security though they do risky work with serious health hazard.

With TUC's Programme Coordinator Ahasanul Haq in the chair, the meeting was addressed by, among others, Daulatpur Degree College Principle Rafiqul Alam, Upaila Social Welfare Officer Kazi Abul Hasem, Abdur Rasid, Abdud Tauwab and ILO Social Monitor Mafuz Alam.

Tarikul Islam Lal, a leader of bidi factory workers, presented the key note paper.

Mahabubur Rahamn of TUC moderated the programme

The speakers urged the bidi factory owners to ensure proper salary of workers and a minimum working condition so that the workers are not attacked with chest diseases in the factory.