Bangladesh still at Tier 2 in human trafficking
In the recent US government report on global human trafficking situation, Bangladesh still remains at Tier 2 as the government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
However, the report, titled "2021 Trafficking in Persons Report" praised the government noting that it is making significant efforts to do so.
"The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Bangladesh remained on Tier 2," the report read.
According to the report, Bangladesh did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas.
"The number of convictions decreased, while law enforcement continued to deny credible reports of official complicity in trafficking, forced labour and sex trafficking of Rohingya, and child sex trafficking, including in licensed brothels, and did not demonstrate efforts to identify victims or investigate these persistent reports," listed the report.
It also noted that the Bangladesh government continued to allow recruiting agencies to charge high recruitment fees to migrant workers and did not consistently address illegally operating recruitment sub-agents, leaving workers vulnerable to traffickers.
Bangladesh was lauded for initiating more prosecutions, particularly of labour traffickers; beginning to operate its trafficking tribunals, and collaborating with foreign governments on a transnational trafficking case.
The report praised the government for investigating trafficking charges brought against former MP Shahid Islam Papul and revoking his seat.
The US government report put forward a set of recommendations for decreasing trafficking which includes increasing prosecutions and prosecutions for trafficking offences, eliminating recruitment fees charged to workers, expanding services for trafficking victims, allowing NGOs to provide services to trafficking victims in government shelters without a court order and fully implementing the 2018-2022 National Plan of Action.
