From risk to resilience: How climate migrant children rebuilding lives in Chattogram

Inside a modest training room in Chattogram's Chaktai area, 14-year-old Sumaiya Akter leans over a sewing machine, guiding fabric carefully beneath the needle as she stitches a kamiz.

Her movements are steady and precise. One day, she hopes to open a small tailoring shop.

"I want to earn well and support my mother," she says quietly.

For Sumaiya, learning to sew is more than acquiring a skill – it is a path away from the hazardous work that once defined her childhood.

Every year, floods, cyclones and river erosion displace hundreds of thousands of people across Bangladesh, forcing families from coastal and riverbank areas to migrate to cities such as Chattogram in search of work. With little savings or skills, many end up in urban slums, where children often join the labour force.

According to the National Child Labour Survey 2022, around 35 lakh children aged 5 to 17 are working in Bangladesh, with more than 10 lakh engaged in hazardous jobs.

Sumaiya was one of them.

From risky jobs to safe livelihoods

Sumaiya's family once lived on Kutubdia Island in Cox's Bazar, a remote coastal area vulnerable to cyclones and tidal surges. Eight years ago, coastal erosion and rising sea levels destroyed their home, forcing them to move to Chattogram when she was just six.

They settled in a densely populated informal settlement near Bhera Market along the
Karnaphuli River, where makeshift houses crowd narrow alleys and basic services are scarce.

Within a year, her father left the house in search of work and never returned. Her mother, Nur Jahan, began working at a dry fish processing factory to support the family.

"I earned only Tk300 a day, which was not enough to feed us," she says.

Soon, Sumaiya joined her at the factory, sorting fish and spreading them out to dry under the sun. The work involved long hours, exposure to salt and sharp fish bones, and frequent injuries.

"I never wanted my daughter to work there," Nur Jahan said. "But I had no choice."

To supplement their income, Sumaiya also collected plastic waste from canals and the Karnaphuli River.

Her life began to change after she enrolled in a vocational training programme run by Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), which supports children engaged inhazardous  labour. The programme provides vocational training with stipends and helps families with alternative income sources.

Under the programme, fourteen-year-old Mohammad Shihab learnt electrical wiring.
Until recently, he worked at a motor workshop, earning Tk3,000 a month while handling tools and machinery far beyond his age.

Two months ago, a YPSA field officer approached him about joining a training programme.

He decided to try.

This month, Shihab secured a job at an electrical shop in Pahartali, with a monthly salary of Tk5,000, along with a Tk100 daily food allowance.

Shihab's family migrated from Ramganj in Noakhali about 12 years ago after the Meghna River swallowed their home.

"Before training, my son had to do risky work because we had no alternative. Now he works in a safer place and earns better. It gives us hope," says his mother Parvin Akter, her face beaming with hope.

A growing urban challenge

Experts say climate-induced migration is intensifying child labour in Bangladesh's urban centres.

A 2022 study by Ghashful, an NGO, found that around 15,000 children work in hazardous roles in the road transport sector in Chattogram, including as helpers and unauthorised drivers. Many face physical abuse, exploitation, poor education access and unsafe working conditions.

In coastal industrial zones, children are commonly seen working in scrap shops, metal workshops, automobile garages and dry fish processing plants. In Cox's Bazar Sadar alone, an estimated 2,800 children are involved in the dry fish sector, according to estimates by YPSA.

Madhuri Banerjee, chief field officer of UNICEF in Chattogram, said child labour severely undermines children's health, education and protection.

"Despite progress over the past two decades in reducing child labour, responses remain fragmented," she said, noting that at least 15 ministries and agencies share responsibility, often with limited coordination.

Rehabilitation efforts and policy gaps

To address these challenges, YPSA launched a pilot rehabilitation programme in late 2023. It has since set up four training centres – two in Chattogram and two in Cox's Bazar – providing vocational training to around 400 children aged 14 to 17, YPSA programme officer Tofayelur Rahman says.

During training, participants receive stipends, and upon completion, each is given a toolkit worth Tk10,000 along with support to secure employment.

For younger children aged 8 to 14, around 600 have been re-enrolled in schools with
educational support.

Bangladesh has adopted several policies, including the National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2010, and has identified hazardous occupations prohibited for children. However, enforcement remains weak, particularly outside export-oriented sectors.

Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Dr Zia Uddin said stronger collaboration between government and civil society is essential. Apart from providing policy support, the government also acts as a facilitator, coordinating the work of NGOs engaged in this effort.

Experts stress that stronger social protection, improved access to education and better coordination among agencies are crucial to prevent children from returning to hazardous work.

Holding on to hope

Back in the Chaktai training centre, Sumaiya finishes stitching a sleeve and lifts the fabric to inspect her work.

A brief smile crosses her face.

"I want a better life," she says.

This story was produced with the help of Thomson Reuters Foundation. The content is the sole responsibility of the author and the publisher.