Dhaka, Nov. 17 -- Bangladesh is witnessing a sharp rise in child labour, with 9.2 per cent of children aged 5-17 now engaged in work, up from 6.8 per cent in 2019, putting an additional 1.2 million children at risk of exploitation, hazardous work, and long-term setbacks, according to the preliminary findings of the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025.

The survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) painted a troubling picture of declining child health, protection, and overall development, while also flagging setbacks in water and sanitation, health, education, and other key human-development indicators, particularly for children and women.

The findings were unveiled at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Confere...