Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (retd.) has said that Bangladesh remains steadfast in its commitment to prevent human trafficking and is working towards this goal. A strong legal framework has been established to hold those involved in human trafficking crimes accountable. Law enforcement agencies are vigilant and active in this regard. Security measures have been strengthened at the border and various public awareness campaigns have been intensified to make those concerned aware of the dangers of trafficking.
The advisor said these things while addressing the third meeting of the BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Sub-Group on Human Trafficking at the Surma Hall of Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital on Sunday (April 6, 2025) morning.
The meeting was welcomed by Khandaker Md. Mahabubur Rahman, Additional Secretary, Political and ICT Division, Public Security Department, Ministry of Home Affairs and Chairman of the Third Meeting of BIMSTEC Sub-Group on Human Trafficking. The welcome address was delivered by Prasanth Chandran, Director, BIMSTEC Secretariat, Dhaka.
The Advisor said that Bangladesh has taken proactive steps to combat human trafficking, including formulating a national action plan, efficiently identifying victims of human trafficking, assessing their needs and connecting them with appropriate service providers, including a national referral system (hosted on a web platform). He said that a dedicated special tribunal has been established to expedite the trial of human traffickers and awareness campaigns have been systematically included in our national strategy. In addition, we have expanded our mutual legal assistance mechanism to strengthen cooperation with BIMSTEC and other countries in this regard.
Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) said that other BIMSTEC member states have taken significant steps in the fight against human trafficking. I hope that these steps and experiences will be shared in this meeting. He said that traffickers are constantly adopting new strategies to evade government initiatives. They continue to exploit the economic crisis and poverty of the affected populations and use migration routes to further their clandestine activities by exploiting technology. A collective and strategic approach is needed to combat this crime and BIMSTEC is playing a vital role in providing a platform for sharing intelligence and best practices among member states. He added that mutual exchange of experiences and joint efforts will enable us to further strengthen our anti-trafficking strategy.
The Advisor expressed his sincere gratitude to the member states for entrusting Bangladesh with the responsibility of the Chairmanship of BIMSTEC for the next two years. He said that Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus has pledged to steer BIMSTEC with an inclusive, action-oriented and visionary vision. Under his able and inspiring leadership, we are confident that BIMSTEC will scale new heights by enhancing cooperation and deepening ties among our member states.
The Advisor further said that the meeting provided a significant opportunity to discuss human trafficking strategies, exchange experiences and reaffirm our commitment to preventing human trafficking across the BIMSTEC region. He said that the outcome of the meeting will act as a catalyst for strong policy formulation, its effective implementation and deeper regional cooperation.
The meeting was attended by relevant members of the Sub-Group on Human Trafficking from seven BIMSTEC member countries (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan).
The meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary, Administration and Finance, Public Security Department, Ministry of Home Affairs, Md. Ataur Rahman Khan, ndc.
