ACCORDING to media report, RAB arrested 8 people including proprietors of a recruitment agency at Keranigonj in the suburb of the city for trafficking 26 ill-fated youths to Libya who were killed last week by unruly gang for ransom. Traffickers had booked them for Italy crossing the Mediterranean. RAB said, they have identified 50 traffickers and trying to arrest the remaining.
It is really praiseworthy that the war ravaged Libyan government has already killed the leader of the militia gang involved in the killing of Bangladeshi youths in a drone strike on Tuesday, said online Tripoli based daily Libya Observer. It appears the action by the Libyan government on request for justice by the Bangladesh government was very swift but it is in total contrast to how weak our government is to deal with traffickers gangs.
We hope the arrest of all traffickers will ensure fair justice to the families of the victims who paid over US$ 10,000 each to international traffickers, in addition to several lakhs taka to local recruiters only to die at the end. We want to see all traffickers must stand to trial and the Home Ministry must be active to destroy their network. The killings of the youths are highly disturbing amid coronavirus pandemic. We would say human traffickers deserve death like the swift action by the Libyan government. But powerful circles are sheltering the billion dollar human trade to keep then unhurt.
In May last year 40 more Bangladeshi nationals drowned in the Mediterranean as traffickers took them to Libya to send to Italy. What is noticeable is that only big incidents come to public views, smaller incidents go almost unnoticed. Reports said around 5,088 cases were filed against human traffickers in the country from 2012 to 2019 but only 111 were convicted. Traffickers are using various loopholes in collaboration with a section of dishonest officials to make their safe exit. But we can’t allow our youths to die being misled for overseas jobs.
Report said police on Tuesday filed a case with Paltan Police Station against 38 named and 35 unnamed people over the trafficking of the 26 victims to Libya. We want to see none to be spared. Moreover why our government is not increasing legal migration to seal the scope of illegal trafficking is the big question. Why local job opportunities not being rapidly expanded so save job seekers from being misled on false promises.
Sending migrants to Libya has been banned and yet traffickers are sending people on visiting visa. It may resume again on resumption of flight following lifting of lockdown. We must be watchful against the crime.
