Dhaka, Bangladesh – In August 2022 UNODC under the framework of Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants-Bangladesh (GLO.ACT-Bangladesh) project facilitated two drafting committee meetings for preparing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on human trafficking investigation at Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarter, Dhaka. The objective of the SOP is to codify and compile the national and international practices for trafficking in persons (TIP) investigation and be a handy guide for operational level officers of Bangladesh Police.
Successful adjudication of alleged offenders, redressal of grievances of victims and consequent prevention of crimes of human trafficking is possible when the first responders, i.e., the police agencies, perform their tasks diligently. In this process, investigation of crimes assumes an important role. The task includes collection of intelligence about crimes, registering crimes in the police station, prompt action in investigation and prosecution and ensuring all legal and administrative follow-up measures. In this context, appropriate tools, such as SOP, are essential to empower the officials to carry out these tasks in the best professional manner.
The drafting committee has been formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to prepare the initial draft of the SOP which will subsequently be validated and published by the Ministry. Led by CID the drafting committee is comprised of representatives from Police Headquarter, Police Bureau of Investigation, Special Branch, Rapid Action Battalion and Dhaka Metropolitan Police. In the first meeting on 01 August 2022, Mr. Roy McComb, International Consultant, UNODC guided the discussion to discuss the table of content and collected preliminary information for drafting the introductory chapters of the SOP.
The second meeting of the drafting committee took place from 27-28 August 2022. On the first day of the meeting there was an elaborate discussion on the preliminary draft of the first two chapters. The members discussed translating international and human rights principles to everyday activities of the IOs, and ways to efficiently address smuggling of migrant as a field level officer. Subsequently, information on evidence collection, victim friendly interviews and ways to coordinate with international governmental agencies and police officials. After the meeting UNODC officials had a courtesy meeting with Additional IGP Mohammad Ali Mia where publications and future activities of GLO.ACT-Bangladesh were shared with him.
The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants - Bangladesh (GLO.ACT - Bangladesh) is a joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). GLO.ACT-Bangladesh builds on a global community of practice set in motion in GLO.ACT 2015-2019 in 13 partner countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
Through targeted, innovative and demand-driven interventions, the GLO.ACT aims to support the Government of Bangladesh and civil society organizations to more effectively fight the crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling across the country. The project works on developing evidence-based information on trafficking and smuggling patterns and trends, legislative review and harmonization, capability development of criminal justice actors, and international cooperation. The project also provides direct assistance to victims of human trafficking and migrants in vulnerable situations through the strengthening of identification, referral, and protection mechanisms. The project is fully committed to mainstreaming Human Rights and Gender Equality considerations across all of its activities.
The project is funded by the European Union.
For more information, please contact:
Mahdy Hassan, National Programme Coordinator
unodc-glo.act@un.org
GLO.ACT Bangladesh
X: @glo_act
