The New Nation on Saturday in a report said most of the victims were trafficked on promise of lucrative jobs in Libya when manpower export to Libya is banned because the country is going through long civil war and there is no peace and security for anyone. Traffickers also promised to send them to Italy when thousands of people are drowning in the Mediterranean Sea on daily basis. It appears that traffickers are using Chittagong Airport when strict vigilance at Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has made such attempt almost impossible. But what appears to be highly repugnant is when traffickers are rooming the country’s villages to recruit young people why Local administration and security intelligence are not seeing it.
But news disclosure said these agents take the people out of the country and hold them in captivity as they abandon them on the way or on Libyan coast. Meanwhile, they force their families to pay huge money for freedom. According to media report 29 people were rescued last week; as they were about to board the plane at Chittagong Airport for Dubai en route to Libya. They had fake visa on their passport.
Most rescued were at first gathered in some residential hotels in Dhaka and then taken to Chittagong as some travel agents arranged their flight. It appears that law enforcers have identified some agents and travel agency owners and trying to arrest them. This is how thousands of people perished in Thai jungle few years back on way to Malaysia and now traffickers are using routes for Libya and Italy to cheat innocent people who are desperate for jobs abroad to end their unemployment. Some are also trafficking people to Nepal to send them to Malaysia, but holding them captive and realizing ransom for freedom.
It goes without saying politically influential persons are giving shelter to human traffickers and the trade is going unabated despite regular alarm by media to stop the human predators making fortune on people’s helplessness. We wonder why the government is persistently failing to stop the human trade and save the people so easily lured and cheated on promise on good jobs abroad. These criminals can’t be allowed to perpetrate the crimes unchecked.
