They also suggested finding alternative means to provide the poverty-stricken children with work and education.

At present, around 10,000 children are working in 185 tannery units, one of the worst forms of child labour, said Hazaribagh Tannery Workers' Union President Abul Kalam in his keynote paper.

Most of the children hail from Noakhali, Barisal, Comilla, Sirajganj and Faridpur districts and they live in areas adjacent to the tannery industry -- Hazaribagh, Beribadh and Kamrangirchar, he said.

The workers' union organised the roundtable on 'Child Labour-Free Leather Industry' at the Bangladesh College of Leather Technology in Hazaribagh.

Speaking as chief guest, former advisor to caretaker government Syed Monzur Elahi said all the industries have to phase out child labour by January 1 next year in line with the International Labour Organisation convention.

"We have to keep pace with the rest of the world, otherwise we will be isolated," he said.

College of Leather Technology Principal Dr Fazlul Karim said the tannery industry is causing pollution of the environment and posing health hazards to the workers.

Pracha Vasuprasatam, chief technical advisor of ILO Dhaka office, Obaidul Islam Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Trade Union, Chowdhury Harunur Rashid, president of Bangladesh Tannery Association, and Tipu Sultan, president of Bangladesh Finished Leather Goods Exporters Association, also spoke.