The children are Al Amin Rabiul, 10, Al Amin Moyeen, 7, Zahed Abul Kashem, 7, Tareq Abul Kashem, 8, Lokman Shahjahan, 12 and Sajeeb, 10 -- all from Comilla.

The programme, held on Kasami Government Primary School premises at Barura, was a matter of great interest to the local people, mostly the children, as it was first such programme they had ever witnessed.

"I hope that this is the first and also the last of such type of programmes. We don't want to see the children of this country trafficked for being used as camel jockeys or in any other risky jobs," said Bahaduruzzaman, chairman of Barura Paurashava.

Abdur Rouf, additional secretary of home ministry, in his speech said poverty and ignorance of the people are the main reasons behind the trafficking of the children.

Urging the leaders of the area to come forward to help the poor, he said "You must become aware of such crimes and change your own fate by hard work, so that the unscrupulous people can never cheat you."

Terming the parents' approval in sending their children to a foreign land a punishable act, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) Executive Director Advocate Salma Ali said it is very hard for the former jockeys to recover physical and psychological health, as they were abused in the early years of their lives.

Barura Upazila Nirbahi Officer Selim Abed, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Faruk Ahmed Chowdhury, director of United Development Initiatives for Programmed Actions (Uddipan) Imranul Huq Chowdhury and other local leaders also spoke at the programme.

A shelter home of BNWLA in the city took in the children after their return from the UAE, that began from August 11. A total of 83 children returned home so far and over 100 are awaiting repatriation in three shelter homes in Abu Dhabi.

As of yesterday, 17 children in total were handed over to their parents. Of them, six in Cox's Bazar, seven in Narsingdi, one in Gopalganj, one in Sylhet and two in Habiganj, BNWLA officials said.

A committee comprising of officials from the home ministry, United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) is managing the rehabilitation and reintegration process.