undeniable constraints of resources. Abject poverty in a significant section of the population and sometimes lack of adequate social safety net for those children who have to fend for themselves mean that a considerable number of children are employed as child workers.3 It is common knowledge that children in Bangladesh are employed in a diverse array of works ranging from light, part-time works to hazardous, full time works or even at extremes, works which would in reality tantamount to servitude. Children working in the manufacturing sector have grabbed the attention of the local and international community and consequently, their working conditions have been subjected to a more or less well defined legal regime. In some industries such as the ready-made garment manufacturing child labour is almost but non-existent because of the stringent regulations, pressure from and vigilance of the overseas buyers of the products.4 However, the plight of domestic workers5 who are mostly children6 have attracted relatively less attention and quite naturally been subjected to little or no legal restrictions. This is not just the trend in Bangladesh but can also be found in many other parts of the 3 Referring to National Child Labour Survey 2002-2003, conducted by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), National Plan of Action for Implementing the National Child Labour Elimination Policy 2012-2016 (April 2013), prepared by the Ministry of Labour and Employment of the Government of Bangladesh notes that around 7.4 million are economically active and around 3.2 million of them were engaged in some form of employment [National Plan of Action 2012-2016]. 4 The merits of special attention on child labour in a particular industry (except when the industry involves hazardous works) is questionable, see below note 104 and the accompanying text. 5 Following Article 1 of the Convention concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, 2011 (Convention No. 189) of the ILO, the term domestic worker may be used to refer to the works performed by workers in or for a household or households. Similarly, para 2.1 of the National Domestic Worker Protection and Welfare Policy, 2010 (Draft) includes all works performed in households by workers as domestic works except those that are related to the business of the employer or related to profit making by the employer [Draft Domestic Worker Policy, 2010]. 6 Referring to National Labour Force Survey 2006, conducted by BBS, the Draft Domestic Worker Policy, 2010 note that around 331,000 workers of 15 plus years age are engaged in domestic works. The Policy observes that as per the information of BBS collated in 2010, around 125,000 children aged between 5 and 17 years of age are employed as domestic workers and around 80 per cent of these children are girls. 2