This can help boost the economy and better educate the children for preparing themselves as worthy citizens, they said at the workshop on "Children's care will ensure women's participation in the job market." Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Phulki, an NGO, jointly organised it at the FBCCI auditorium in the city.

"The mothers cannot fully concentrate on their works when they leave their children at home deprived of breastfeeding and necessary care at their early stage," said FBCCI President Mir Nasir Hossain.

The number of joint families has come down drastically, which is why there is shortage of family members to take care of the children of the working mothers, who need to depend on the day care centres, he added.

Participation of women in the jobs, business enterprises and industries has increased significantly, but the day care centres have not been established accordingly, pointed out the FBCCI chief addressing the workshop as the chief guest.

"As a result, the talented working mothers leave their jobs for taking care of their children that led to the loss in economy," he said.

Urging for necessary steps, Mir Nasir Hossain said there are about 16 lakh female workers in the garments, but nothing was discussed on the issue of day care centres though many other issues like working environment, working hours and weekly holiday were discussed previously.

Speaking as the special guest, Executive Director of the Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam said women have some inherent rights like giving birth to children and taking care of them.

At the same time they have the productive rights where both the families and the society should support, she said, adding that taking care of children in some of the developed countries is so important that the mothers are provided with incentives for that.

"We should support the working mothers so that they can play their due role in the productive activities as well as inherent activities," Shaheen said, suggesting conducting a research how the factories are benefited when the mothers keep their children at the day care centres inside the factories.

"Many of our children go astray just because we do not take care of them properly," she said, urging the authorities concerned to strengthen the existing facilities in this regard. The private sector, government and NGOs should act unitedly in this regard, she noted.

In her keynote presentation Mahbuba Mahmud, executive director of Uttsha Bangladesh, an NGO, said Bangladesh is party to the UN Conventions that instruct arrangements of transports, rest room and day care centres in the workplaces where there are working women.

According to the country's labour law, the workplaces that have at least 40 women should set up day care centres.

Phulki Executive Director Suraiya Haque suggested that a number of factories that are almost adjacent to each other can also set up altogether a day care centre in an area, but insisted on ensuring that the working mothers are allowed to breastfeed their children at least four times a day.

FBCCI Vice President Dewan Sultan Ahmed moderated the workshop.