Hundreds of boys come from different parts of the country, some from as far as Chittagong, to earn some money for their poverty-stricken families.

They are often tortured and sexually harassed but have to stay there for five months during the peak fishing season once they join the work at Dublar Char (a group of islets) in the Bay of Bengal.

"Jainal Majhi (boatman) paid my parents Tk 3,000 when I came here with him. I will get an additional amount of Tk 2,000 when I go back to my parents at the end of five-month period," said Ibrahim who has been working at the dry fish farm of Shah Alam at Majher Char.

Nine-year-old Ibrahim, a student of class three at his village home at Tushkhali of Mothbaria in Barisal, quit the school about five months ago and headed towards Dublar Char along with some others boys to work at a dry fish plant.

The fishing season began on the first day of Bangla month Kartik (October) and the peak season lasts for five months (from mid-October to mid-March).

An estimated 10,000 boys like Ibrahim have been working in the fish plants at 13 chars -- Office Killa, Majher Killa, Meher Ali Char, Alor Kol, Shelar Char, Narikel Bariya, Choto Aam Bariya, Baro Aam Bariya, Manik Khali, Kobar Khali, Chapra Khalir Char, Kokil Moni and Holdi Khali. Together they are known as Dublar Char.

From morning to evening, these boys sort out fishes and process them for drying.

"Sometime we have to work at midnight when the fishing boat return from the deep sea. We have to help unload the fishes from the boat," said Mohammad Ershad, 13, who hails from Banshkhali of Chittagong.

These boys are often harassed sexually by their seniors, locals said.

Generally the owners of the fish plants prefer child workers as their wages are much less than that of adult workers. So they engage the boatmen to collect children. The boatmen also get a commission in return.

Sometimes, the children also come on their own as Ershad who came with his father to work there.

There are 13 fish processing plants in the Dublar Char. The entire area remains abuzz with activities during the peak season. Kitchen markets, grocery shops, barber's shops appeared again but only for five months.

The owners of the fish plants make new huts for the labourers and to store the dry fishes.

The government collects as much as Tk one crore in taxes from the fish plants every year.