GLO.ACT-Bangladesh organizes workshop for prosecutors working in human trafficking
prone districts
Dhaka, Bangladesh 20 April 2023 – Bangladesh is considered a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking, and the conviction rate for human trafficking cases is low. With cases piling up, the role of public prosecutors is crucial for efficiently handling the cases. UNODC recognizes that any effort to enhance capacity among criminal justice practitioners needs to be grounded on a firm understanding of the local context, together with clarity about existing levels of knowledge.
Under the
GLO.ACT-Bangladesh project, UNODC is organizing a series of capacity building workshops focused on enhancing practitioner’s understanding of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. This second workshop, organized by UNODC from 13 to 14 June 2022 and in partnership with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA), was designed to enhance the capacity of criminal justice practitioners in dealing with human trafficking cases in Bangladesh more effectively.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary of Law and Justice Division, MoLJPA, and Runa Nahid, Solicitor of Law and Justice Division, MoLJPA. The substantive sessions of the workshop focused on familiarizing the participants with the essential national and international legal instruments, frameworks, and case laws related to human trafficking. It also served as a knowledge-sharing platform where prosecutors had vibrant and engaging discussions dealing with human trafficking cases. Experts guided the prosecutors on developing legal arguments for case preparation and trial.
During the sessions, UNODC noted some valuable feedback from the prosecutors. The feedback included the following suggestions:
- Organizing a joint session that includes prosecutors, investigation officers, and judges to increase cooperation among them;
- Facilitating regular district-level meetings bringing together prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and judicial officers; establishing measures for ensuring victim and witness protection; providing logistical support and security measures for the prosecutors;
- Enhancing capacity development, particularly in the framing of human trafficking charges, international cooperation, and pursuing victim compensation claims.
Ruhul Amin Talukder, Special Public Prosecutor, Anti-Human Trafficking Offence Tribunal Rangpur, shared his feedback on the workshop and said, “I am really pleased to learn from the experience of so many prosecutors through the workshop. The sessions have increased my skill in managing and presenting my cases.”
In conclusion, the capacity building workshop organized by GLO.ACT-Bangladesh in partnership with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) of Bangladesh is a significant step towards enhancing the capacity of criminal justice practitioners in dealing with human trafficking cases in Bangladesh more successfully. Such initiatives will help Bangladesh achieve its goal of countering human trafficking and creating a safer environment for its citizens.
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), led by the Government of Bangladesh.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
GLO.ACT-Bangladesh
unodc-glo.act@un.org
Twitter: @glo_act