Combined efforts a must to curb human trafficking

They also stressed the need for better coordination among NGOs and government agencies to address the trafficking issue.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the home ministry organised the meeting on 'Initiatives taken to combat trafficking in persons' at the National Press Club in the city.

The IOM and the home ministry jointly initiated a three-year project titled 'Counter-trafficking interventions in prevention, protection and prosecution for victims of trafficking in persons in Bangladesh' in September 2005.

Funded by the USAID Bangladesh, the project covering 18 districts will run till September 2008.

The speakers called on the government, law enforcement agencies, local government representatives, media, NGO officials, lawyers and religious leaders to come forward and work together to curb human trafficking.

Anti-human trafficking measures should be considered as a development agenda, said Rezaul Haque, DG-Ed team leader of USAID Bangladesh.

This is an important issue for donor agencies as they give priority to it while providing development assistances, he added.

"We have to work together to make the people aware of it (trafficking) as it is a crime against humanity and it has also an impact on society, economy and politics."

Mozammel Khan, additional inspector general (AIG), said the government is sincere in tackling the trafficking issue and there is a police monitoring cell which is dealing with the problem with the support from the home ministry.

Trafficking in persons, particularly women and children, is also tarnishing the image of the country, he said and urged all, including the political leaders and well-off sections of society, to come forward to curb it.

Mizanur Rahman, team leader of counter-trafficking programme of IOM, said the project activities are divided into three groups -- prevention, protection and prosecution.

Raising awareness through drama, school, media and community campaign is part of prevention activities while protection activities include providing medical and legal aids and developing entrepreneurial skills of the victims.

The prosecution activities are aimed at building the capacity of police officers, prosecutors and lawyers so that trafficking cases can be dealt with effectively.

Representatives of NGOs and law enforcement officials were present at the meeting.