Bangladesh: UNODC-GLO.ACT launches the first national study on Trafficking in Persons in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh/02 October 2022: 

Press Release

As the Chief Guest, H.E. Mr. Asaduzzaman Khan, M.P., Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs highlighted the power of information in saving lives at the Launching Ceremony of the First National Study on Trafficking in Persons in Bangladesh by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Government of Bangladesh where he also mentioned, “For the National Study to be effective it should be disseminated widely and utilized by all relevant stakeholders. This will only be possible when we all have ownership of the National Study because this Study will act as the baseline for all our future reporting on human trafficking in Bangladesh. Thus, I urge you all to coordinate our information and experiences to eliminate human trafficking in Bangladesh."

“The Government of Bangladesh advocates for ethical recruitment, opening up legal pathways, responsible migration, decent work and protection of migrants’ rights,” said the special guest of the ceremony, H.E. Mr. Imran Ahmad, M.P., Hon'ble Minister, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and he went on to say that, “Limiting safe migration opportunities pave way for disorderly migration which is used by disruptive forces such as traffickers and smugglers to make a profit out of the lives of human beings.”

“Future success in eradicating human trafficking will depend on our combined efforts to centralize our information on trafficking in persons and reflect its finding in our operational decisions. With traffickers changing their modes of deception and exploitation frequently, I urge everyone to remain vigilant,” explained Mr. Md Akhter Hossain, Senior Secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, the Chair of the launching ceremony of the first National Study on trafficking in persons.

Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, noted, “The National Study provided a comprehensive picture of the current situation of human trafficking including the risk factors, trends, routes, and mode of exploitation. The Ministry will use a number of observations from the Study to protect our migrant workers from all kinds of exploitation.”

Praising the National Study on Trafficking in Persons H.E. Mr. Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of Delegation, European Union, “Data collection and analysis is crucial for several reasons. Some key ones are the need to be able to determine countries of origins of human trafficking victims, understand the risk factors and vulnerable population, and finally know the trends and flows of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants.”

Bangladeshi victims of trafficking in persons are detected in many countries across the world, as well as in Bangladesh itself. The country’s geographic location contributes to it not only being a significant source of victims regionally, but also a destination for trafficking victims from neighbouring countries and further afield. The country’s low human development index, poverty levels and lack of economic opportunities for many, push people to seek employment abroad, where some end up in situations of trafficking in persons.

To provide a baseline for the trafficking situation in Bangladesh, the National Study on Trafficking in Persons examines how the crime of human trafficking is committed and the victims it targets in the country. The Study explores trafficking trends, characteristics, and routes, examines risk factors and the modus operandi of traffickers, and sets out national responses to the crime.

The Study was prepared as a result of partnership between the Government of Bangladesh and UNODC under the framework of the European Union funded Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants project (GLO.ACT-Bangladesh) and in cooperation with the Research and Trend Analysis Branch of the UNODC. It is noteworthy, that the Study was prepared in partnership with relevant national authorities of Bangladesh represented through an Advisory Group chaired by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The International Labour Organization provided the text for the chapter on “Trafficking in Persons and Forced Labour in Bangladesh”.

(Under the aegis of GLO.ACT Bangladesh)