Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, 7 September 2023 - Under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants-Bangladesh (GLO.ACT-Bangladesh), UNODC organized a capacity-building workshop with law enforcement agencies to address Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM). The workshop, held from 30 to 31 August 2023, aimed to enhance the efficiency of human trafficking investigations in Bangladesh by focusing on both national and international legislation.
In its efforts to bolster the capabilities of criminal justice practitioners to proactively identify and investigate human trafficking cases, GLO.ACT-Bangladesh has been arranging workshops to deepen practitioners' understanding of the complexities surrounding human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The workshop acquainted participants with essential international and national legal instruments, frameworks, and investigation techniques related to human trafficking. The second day of the workshop touched upon emerging trends on human trafficking and advanced investigation techniques. It also served as a platform for knowledge-sharing and coordination, enabling investigating officers to engage in vibrant discussions about handling human trafficking investigations. The workshop participants also gave their inputs on the reference booklet on the investigation procedure for the TIP cases to make it contextualized with the need of investigation at the field level of Bangladesh.
During his session Afzal Hossain, Additional SSP, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police shared existing mechanisms followed at the headquarter level, and shared ways field level officers can coordinate with the Trafficking in Human Being Cell of CID and other relevant organizations. He also shared some ongoing cases amongst which included an investigation of transboundary case, and it was one of the outcome of the bilateral meeting between Bangladesh and Malaysia on addressing TIP and SOM, an initiative taken under the framework of GLO.ACT-Bangladesh.
This marks the second workshop in Cox’s Bazar with the investigating officers organized by GLO.ACT-Bangladesh. A total of 20 investigating officers from the District Police, the Police Bureau of Investigation, and the Criminal Investigation Department of Bangladesh Police actively participated in the workshop.
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, National Programme Coordinator
GLO.ACT-Bangladesh
X (formerly Twitter): @glo_act