UNB, Dhaka :
State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan on Saturday said the government will take steps to bring back the Bangladeshis reportedly rescued after being abducted and shipped to Thailand to be sold as ‘slaves’.
The minister, however, noted that all of the rescued should not be considered as Bangladeshis just because they speak Bangla.
Talking to UNB on Saturday, he said the fact that the rescued people speak Bangla does not ensure that they are Bangladeshis. “And it must be taken into account that many people from Myanmar are illegally migrating to foreign countries using Bangladeshi passport,” he added.
The junior minister said if the identities of the rescued people are confirmed and their list is sent by the Thailand government, Bangladesh government will take the steps required to bring them back.
Sought comments on the prevalence of human trafficking to Malaysia using the sea route from Bangladesh, he admitted that the government is yet to ensure 100 percent vigilance against such activities along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
Asaduzzaman also noted that steps have been taken to scale up the capacity of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard along the border areas to curb human trafficking and other crimes.
He added that the government will put in a strong effort to identify the quarters involved in human trafficking through sea from Bangladesh to Thailand and Malaysia.
A BBC report on Saturday claimed dozens of Bangladeshis have reportedly been rescued after being abducted and shipped to Thailand to be sold as ‘slaves’.
The rescued men were promised well-paid jobs before being drugged, bound and kidnapped, said the report.
The video uploaded by the BBC shows a group of people in a jungle are crying for their helplessness. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs here is yet to make any comment over the BBC report.
On October 14, two Thai men were arrested on charges of human trafficking after 53 foreign workers were found at a rubber plantation in southern Thailand.
The group, who come from Bangladesh and Myanmar, also known as Burma, were discovered on Saturday. They are thought to be Rohingya Muslims, said the BBC report. Thai police are still looking for the gang leaders.
The US recently criticised Thailand for failing to combat trafficking.
Over the last few months, some 270 Bangladesh nationals have been brought back home from Thailand, according to the Foreign Ministry here.
It said effort is on for the return of all the detained Bangladeshis from Thailand.
A good number of Bangladeshis, who were either illegally going to Malaysia in boats or intruded into Thai territory, have been in detention in Thailand, diplomatic sources said.
