DHAKA: To tackle human trafficking, we need political will, legislative structure and implementation and administrative resources.
The speakers made the remarks in a National Consultation on “Trafficking and Smuggling through South East region of Bangladesh” at Hotel Amari of the city on Tuesday.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has jointly organized this.
The press release said an increasing number of trafficking and smuggling issues have been reported in the media. It is estimated that around 54,000 people departed irregularly by sea from the Bay of Bengal this year.
More than 120,000 people have left irregularly by sea in the Bay of Bengal since January 2012. Recent reports show that many victims have been forced onto boats heading for Malaysia.
The National Consultation brought together high level government representatives from national and district level, civil society organizations as well as academia to support the formulation of a response strategy and putting forward practical interventions for consideration.
Members of law enforcement agencies and representatives from the international community were also present on the occasion.
The consultation gave an overview of the human trafficking and smuggling situation in Bangladesh and highlighted the need to address criminal activities in a more concerted manner.
The consultation initiated discussions about interventions through a four pronged approach: preventing the occurrence of trafficking and smuggling, protecting the victims of trafficking and smuggling, initiating strong prosecution measures against human traffickers, and formulating partnerships between various government and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive approach to respond to trafficking issue.
The National Consultation was opened by Dr Kaoru Takahashi, Officer in Charge of IOM and Stina Ljungdell, Country Representative of UNHCR. Dr Takahashi stressed the importance of acting on trafficking issues and thanked the Government for being proactive in addressing such issues.
Ljungdell put emphasis on protection of vulnerable people who fall into the hands of human traffickers.
Dr M Mozammel Haque Khan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs was present during the occasion as a Chief Guest.
Drawing attention to the South East region of Bangladesh, Senior Secretary called for a comprehensive strategy to fight against trafficking that involves the international community and institutions at local and national level.
He said “Trafficking needs to be addressed through a more collaborative approach involving various government entities and development partners.”
Dr Kamal Uddin, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, explained how the Human Trafficking Deterrence and Suppression Act, 2012 is contributing to safe and legal migration.
Shahidul Haque the Honorable Foreign Secretary summarized the key issues raised during the consultation.
BDST: 2200 HRS, DEC 09, 2014
