People of all classes this correspondent talked to have expressed their deep concern and said children will go back to bidi factories once the project is closed.

The project should continue for at least three more years to produce a sustainable result, they said.

Ahead the May 30 deadline, ILO-assisted seven local NGOs are preparing to shut down their offices in

Kounia and Gangachara upzilas, leaving about 18,000

child bidi workers in an uncertain situation.

ILO launched the project on November 16,

2001 under which children working in bidi factories and tobacco processing units were taken out of the hazardous jobs and enrolled in schools and vocational training centres.

These schools and centres were run by seven NGOs. These are Lighthouse, SEPOK, ESDO, Chhinnomukul

Bangladesh, BRAC, SSS, and BDSC. They provided

non-formal education, training on different vocations, micro credit to families and created awareness among people.

They ran 158 temporary schools, eight clinics and

eight vocational training centres in the project's command areas.

Md Shahinur Rahman, ILO's Social Monitor in the area said, "Besides non-formal education, several hundred teenagers were taken out of bidi factories and trained in at different vocations. They are now working in electric shops, TV-freeze repair shops, bakeries and other workshops. This is a great achievement".

Atiqur Rahman, Action Programme Coordinator (APC)

of Eco Social Development (ESDO) said, "Ninety per cent of the child bidi workers of 5-10 age group who were given non-formal education are now going to primary schools for formal education.

"Many of them will go back to their old hazardous jobs if the programme is stopped now", he said.

Jahangir Alam, Action Programme Coordinator of

Chinnyomukul Bangladesh (CB) said, "Parents of

child bidi workers were given micro credit and training on various income generating activities so that they can run their families while their children are at school.

"If the support is withdrawn, they will go back to their previous professions".

Ershad Ali, 16, used to work at a bidi factory. He is now an electrician.

"I earn at least Tk 90 a day now, which is more than four times the amount I used to earn at a bidi factory two years back", he told this correspondent during a recent visit to the area.

Chairman of Haragachh Union Parishad Anwarul Karim Maya expressed his deep concern that the ILO programme will be concluded.

"The ILO opened great opportunities for children in the area. They will go back to bidi factories if the programme is closed", he said.

Haragachh Bidi Sramik Union President Md Amin said 30 months are not enough to make any sustainable progress in eliminating child labour from bidi and tobacco factories.

The project should continue for at least five more years, he suggested.

About 90 per cent population in Haragachh, Sari,

Mornea, Tapodhon, and Gajghanta unions are traditionally dependent on tobacco cultivation, processing and bidi factories directly or indirectly. They thought that they should cling to their traditional family occupations.

But things changed to a great extent due to the motivation campaign launched after introduction of the ILO child care project in the area.