The cabinet on Monday approved the draft of Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] with India on bilateral cooperation for prevention of human trafficking and rehabilitation of the trafficked victims.
The approval was given at a regular cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The MoU is likely to be signed during the three-day
Bangladesh-India home secretary-level meeting beginning in Dhaka today (Tuesday). The deal is going to be signed between the two countries following the recent visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Bangladesh, officials said.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said, “The Indian government has already approved the proposal to prevent human trafficking. Usually, the children and women fall victim to trafficking in both the countries.”
He said, “As per the MoU, the whole process will be done with the help of law enforcing agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).” The MoU titled “Memorandum of Understanding between Bangladesh and India on bilateral cooperation for prevention of human trafficking, specially trafficking women and children, rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration victims of trafficking” will help address the human trafficking issue with India, the cabinet secretary said. He said both the countries have been working on the issue under a ‘standard operation procedure [SOP]’ while a joint taskforce working on human trafficking problems between Bangladesh and India has prepared the MoU. Under the MoU all people less than 18 years will be considered as children. And action would be taken against the human traffickers as per law of the respective countries. Both countries would also follow the Coordinated Border Management Plan and exchange necessary information. Official sources said Bangladesh is a source and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labour and forced prostitution.
Women and children [both boys and girls] from Bangladesh are allegedly trafficked to mainly India for commercial sexual exploitation, bonded labor and forced labor. Some children are sold into bondage by their parents, while others are induced into labour or commercial sexual exploitation through fraud and physical coercion. Besides, the Bangladeshi victims are also reportedly abused in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates [UAE], Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Malaysia, Liberia, and some other countries.
A recent Amnesty International report indicated that many brothel owners and pimps addict Bangladeshi girls to steroids, with devastating side effects, to make them more attractive to clients. The drug is reported to be used by 90 percent of females between 15 and 35 in Bangladeshi brothels, the sources said.
