Law enforcers, prosecutors need capacity building

The capacity of law enforcers and prosecutors must be increased to expedite the trial of human trafficking cases, speakers told a national conference yesterday.

They said it was urgent because there were few examples of human traffickers getting punished through the protracted trial proceedings.

The observations came at the end of the two-day national conference on "National Plan of Action for Combating Human Trafficking 2015-17: From Adoption to Implementation."

The home ministry organised it in the capital's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre with support from USAID, Winrock International, and International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"The capacity of the criminal justice system is not adequate," said Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem, additional home secretary, while presenting the outcomes of the conference.

The participants said the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012 was not properly enforced, and that there must be a legal system to ensure the victim-witness protection, along with linking legal aid supports provided by government and non-government agencies.

The speakers also called for creation of a joint squad comprising different law enforcement agencies, named Human Trafficking Unit, to combat human trafficking.

Addressing as special guest, US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat said there were many Bangladeshis -- many men, many women, and many children who were seeking actions to prevent the crime of human trafficking.

The United States has taken the human trafficking issue very seriously around the world including Bangladesh, she added. "We saw the magnitude of this problem vividly last year during the Andaman Sea crisis.... Experience teaches us that we truly need to work together if we are to successfully stop these crimes."

Addressing as chief guest, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the government had been making earnest efforts to combat all forms of trafficking in persons.

He said Bangladesh and India had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for prevention of trafficking, especially trafficking of women and children, and rescue, recovery, repatriation and re-integration of victims.