The programmes undertaken by NGOs like SETU, BTUK and PIPASA and supported by ILO (International Labour Organisation) include rally, human chain and discussion meeting to highlight their achievements in taking out children from tobacco factories and future strategy to eliminate child labour from the hazardous work.

The children taken out from eight tobacco factories in Daulatpur upazila under the ILO programme in last three years will take part in the programmes.

The ILO project styled PEWFCL (Preventing and Eliminating the Worst Forms of Child Labour), launched in Kushtia in 2001, was implemented by SETU, BTUK and PIPASA, all NGOs.

In three years, they took 2586 child workers out of the factories. Most of them are now going to school and others are being trained in different vocations by the NGOs with assistance from the United States Department of Labour (USDOL).

The ILO also initiated programmes to bring poor parents of the children under income generating programme so that they are not forced to send their children to tobacco factories again.

The ILO also helped workers to form trade unions, which absent earlier in tobacco factories.

The three years ILO project ended last month. Another 'time bound' project may be launch soon to preserve the successes, AT Siddique, Section Coordinator of USDOL project Bangladesh told this correspondent over cell phone yesterday.