Dhaka, Bangladesh 04 February 2022 – Can you describe yourself in a couple of sentences? My name is Reena Debnath, and I'm the Special Public Prosecutor of Repression of Violence on Women and Children Tribunal, Narsingdi, Bangladesh. I grew up in a village called Madobhbi in Narsingdi. The situation was challenging for a girl who wanted to be educated. Consequently, my parents arranged my marriage at a young age. Despite this, I was very interested in studying and continuing my education. I was blessed to have my husband and in-laws to support my education. It was with their support that I managed to complete my education. In 2000, I finished my LL.B. degree and enrolled as an advocate in 2002. Since 2002 I've worked for the Narsingdi Tribunal and started working on criminal cases.
Who has inspired you to do the work you do?
I'm always interested in challenging the status quo, especially when society tells girls they can't do it. I've always heard that women are not fit to be prosecutors. This made me pertinacious to become a public prosecutor because I'm used to facing adverse situations since a young age. So, I became a public prosecutor to defend the rights of persecuted women and children.
What motto do you live by?
Honesty and commitment are power. When one is honest, only then one has a strong voice. It's imperative to have a strong and credible voice in the world of prosecution.
Tell us about a time when you were part of Trafficking in Persons case prosecution.
Currently, I'm prosecuting the case of a Bangladeshi male victim of trafficking in South Africa. There are many challenges in prosecuting these types of trafficking cases. The victim and main perpetrators are in South Africa. It's challenging to ensure that all the evidence needed to take the case to trial is collected, especially when cases are outside Bangladesh. I often observe that victims and witnesses are threatened by friends and family members of the perpetrators. We usually only meet the witnesses on the day of the trial, so presenting them before the court is sometimes tricky. COVID 19 has added a new dimension to our challenges as it halted the trial proceedings, creating a backlog of cases.
What are the main takeaways from your engagement with UNODC?
After I engaged with UNODC, I became a stronger prosecutor. I've received suggestions and opinions from experts and other prosecutors through the workshop. Moreover, I found UNODC's material and facilitation rich in content and well developed. UNODC's staff is always cordial and patient, motivating me to work better. I really appreciated how the facilitators discussed Trafficking in Persons related problems with case references. They were extremely helpful. By acquiring these prosecutorial skills, my everyday work is getting more efficient day by day.
What other areas would you like to receive additional training on?
I think similar capacity building training will be helpful. It would be interesting to include judges and investigating officers in these training, increasing our coordination. Ensuring all the prosecutors can give a standardized response to TIP district-based training with fewer participants is necessary. Lastly, addressing factors that impede international cooperation and training to improve such coordination will likely improve international TIP cases prosecutions.
In your own words, do you think having female prosecutors working on human trafficking cases is important? If yes, why?
Yes, having female prosecutors working on human trafficking cases is essential. It's easier for female victims to trust female prosecutors because female prosecutors can empathize with the victims. Female prosecutors are also perceived as committed and dependable lawyers amongst the court and victims.
What are the main challenges for the women working in the judiciary in Bangladesh?
The challenges start from entering the court to coming home for female prosecutors. Sometimes we are teased by male colleagues and even by the accused. We are frequently underestimated in this profession due to our gender. Thus, female prosecutors must always be prepared to deal with such situations.
What would surprise people to know about women working as prosecutors in Bangladesh?
Although there aren't many female prosecutors in Bangladesh, the courts are pleased because we maintain the proper process. Generally, one prosecutor tackles 99 oppositions in a court and simultaneously manages many witnesses. Besides the court, they also have to manage their homes, and therefore they are constantly multitasking.
What advice do you have for women seeking a career in the judiciary in Bangladesh?
I encourage and welcome all women to become prosecutors. I want to pave the way for them. I would advise them to always be committed to their work and ignore all the side talk. I would say to them: "By working hard, you will reach your goal. Many things will try to hold you back but always remember there is no way but to go forward."
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The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Bangladesh (GLO.ACT - Bangladesh) is a joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). GLO.ACT-Bangladesh builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019 in 13 partner countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
Through targeted, innovative and demand-driven interventions, the GLO.ACT aims to support the Government of Bangladesh and civil society organizations to more effectively fight the crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling across the country. The project works on developing evidence-based information on trafficking and smuggling patterns and trends, legislative review and harmonization, capability development of criminal justice actors, and international cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations through the strengthening of identification, referral, and protection mechanisms. The project is fully committed to mainstreaming Human Rights and Gender Equality considerations across all of its activities.
The project is funded by the European Union.
For more information, please contact:
Mahdy Hassan: muhammad.hassan@un.org
unodc-glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act
