World Recognises Dhaka's Efforts to End Human Trafficking: FM

Bangladesh has pledged to end trafficking in human beings by collaborative initiatives to state that the world has acknowledged Bangladesh 's attempts so far to avoid trafficking in human beings.

"We've got a long way to go. We'll certainly succeed. Build up good popular sentiment (against corruption and traffickers)," he said on Friday, wanting the cooperation of all.

Throughout its study, the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons 2020 reported that the Government of Bangladesh has shown an overall improvement in attempts to combat trafficking in human beings relative to the previous monitoring cycle, receiving an upgrade to Tier 2 in the rating of countries combating trafficking.

"It's good news that some progress has been made in terms of government efforts. As a result , the world has recognized us," Dr. Momen said in a video commentary on the U.S. report.

Recalling the latest cases of trafficking and killing of 26 Bangladeshi nationals in Libya, the Foreign Minister said they were rather regrettable.

"I call upon the people of the country- identify the traffickers and the agencies who are sending people abroad illegally. Boycott them socially," said the Foreign Minister. 

Dr. Momen concentrated on improving his reputation as human trafficking problems carry bad publicity to every region.

He said that relatives of victims of trafficking can not avoid responsibility for the suffering of victims of trafficking.

"Help the government. We want to stop human trafficking - child trafficking and women trafficking. We can't do it without your support," said the Foreign Minister. 

Bangladesh 's efforts included the conviction of more traffickers, a modest increase in the number of victims identified, accession to the UN TIP Protocol of 2000 and, at the end of the reporting period, the establishment of seven anti-trafficking tribunals as stipulated in Bangladesh's anti-trafficking law.

In addition, the government continued to allow humanitarian access to the Rohingya camps, according to US Department of State report on Trafficking in Persons released on Thursday.

The report, however, said the government of Bangladesh does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.

It said the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas.

Law enforcement decreased investigations into trafficking cases, continued to deny credible reports of official complicity in trafficking, and, despite hundreds of credible reports of forced labor and sex trafficking of Rohingya, did not open investigations to verify these reports, according to Bangladesh part of the report.

Despite widespread reports of child sex trafficking, including in licensed brothels, the government did not make efforts to identify victims or investigate the persistent reports, it said.

While international organizations identified more than 1,000 potential Bangladeshi forced labor victims in Saudi Arabia during the reporting period, the government did not report efforts to provide the majority with services or criminally investigate allegations of forced labor, says the US report.

In fact, the Department responsible for certifying people for employment overseas, the Bureau of Manpower and Career Training (BMET), also authorized recruiting companies to remove from the mandatory pre-departure training details on trafficking in human beings, including how to lodge a lawsuit against the client or the recruiting firm.

BMET also forced some migrant workers to arbitrate non-representative labor violations with their exploitative recruitment agencies.

The government proceeded to authorize employers to charge large recruiting fees to foreign employees and did not regularly tackle illicit recruiting of sub-agents, which made staff exposed to smugglers, according to the study.

It said victim care remained insufficient; officials did not consistently implement victim identification procedures or refer identified victims to care; foreign trafficking victims could not access protective services, and the government did not have shelter for adult male victims.