Bangladesh: UNODC enhances responses against Trafficking in Persons with Data-Driven Approaches

Dhaka, Bangladesh/27 December 2023: Trafficking in Persons poses a significant and multifaceted challenge to Bangladesh, impacting the country’s economy and security. Bangladesh serves as a source and transit country for human trafficking, with vulnerable populations often falling prey to deceptive recruitment practices. Women and children are particularly vulnerable, facing risks of forced labor, sexual exploitation, and involuntary servitude.

Over the last several years, UNODC has been actively engaged in supporting Bangladesh's efforts to address human trafficking, providing technical assistance, capacity-building, and facilitating collaboration among various stakeholders.

Under the framework of GLO.ACT–Bangladesh, efforts are aimed at bolstering the government's endeavors in creating evidence-based information on trafficking patterns and trends. As part of this, the First National Study on Trafficking in Persons in Bangladesh was conducted, delving into not only domestic trafficking flows but also scrutinizing cross-border trafficking dynamics, setting the stage for informed interventions.

Discussing these aspects, a stakeholder consultation meeting on data collection for the assessment on border management was hosted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, aimed at addressing the intricate challenges posed by Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants.

30 officials and experts from key government stakeholders, UN agencies and NGOs provided invaluable inputs under different thematic areas, shaping the priorities and structure of the forthcoming assessment.

Participants exchanged insights on the methodologies, tools, and data collection techniques to strengthen evidence-based interventions.

This activity contributes to SDG 8, SDG 23, SDG 16 and SDG 17: https://sdg-tracker.org/

(Supported by European Union)