Human Trafficking in Bangladesh: A Study on Narayanganj and Jessore Districts

Abstract

Human trafficking is not a single offence, rather it is a process run by the transnational organized criminal groups. In recent years, it has become the most security concern as well as a grave violation of human rights. It is often regarded as one of the fastest growing transnational crime. According to the 2018 UNODC Global TIP report, this illegal trade earns $52 billion annually in the South Asian region. And now after the Covid pandemic, it is also a challenging issue specially for the South Asian countries to combat human trafficking. Bangladesh, a South-East Asian country, acts as a source country by using the poor vulnerable people as victims in this process. It is a country of about 161 million people including more than 26 lakhs unemployed here, is facing a daunting challenge of providing social security, high wage status, living cost and their responsibilities. To ensure a better standard of life and fight against poverty, many poor, unemployed or low skilled labors knowingly or unknowingly are willing to go to cities as well as abroad to earn more money. Thus they become a prey to human trafficking process. The present study has conducted to explore recent factors besides the existing fact which adds to fuel in human trafficking process in Bangladesh. This paper also highlights on the process of trafficking through different modes or patterns based on several case studies and interviews. This study was conducted at Narayanganj sadar (origin place of victims) and Benapole petrapole border area (transit point of victims). The author visited different areas of that two places for collecting data and used unstructured interview, conducted a survey and review case study methods for the quest of this study. Data and information were collected from both primary and secondary sources i.e. journals, books, articles, internet, research reports, daily newspaper, different websites, GOs and NGOs reports, etc. Some case studies were also discussed in this paper. From the result, the study identified socio economic disparity at national or international level, high unemployment rate, low scale of wage, political apathy, demand of cheap labor, lack of awareness, social insecurity as the recent root factors for the rapid growth of human trafficking in Bangladesh. Finally, it concludes that porous and weak border controlling system, lack of proper agreement with the neighboring countries to combat trafficking and lack of punishment make it easier for the traffickers to run this process of human trafficking. And now it is time to take effective plan of action and set up a strong anti-trafficking cell through the government of Bangladesh to combat human trafficking, rescue and protect the victims of this crime.