2007 Trafficking in Persons Report - Center for Women Policy Studies

It is also a source country for children — both
girls and boys — trafficked for commercial sexual
exploitation, bonded labor, and other forms of
involuntary servitude. Women and children from
Bangladesh are trafficked to India and Pakistan
for sexual exploitation. Bangladeshi women also
migrate legally to the Gulf for work as domestic
servants, but often find themselves in situations of
involuntary servitude when faced with restrictions
on movement, non-payment of wages, and physical
or sexual abuse. In addition, Bangladeshi men and
women migrate to Malaysia, the Gulf, and Jordan
to work in the construction or garment industry,
but sometimes face conditions of involuntary
servitude, including fraudulent recruitment offers;
debt bondage may be facilitated by large predeparture
fees imposed by Bangladeshi recruitment
agents. Internally, Bangladeshis are trafficked for
commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude,
and bonded labor. Some Burmese women who are
trafficked to India transit through Bangladesh.
The Government of Bangladesh does not fully
comply with the minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking; however, it is making significant
efforts to do so. Bangladesh continued to raise
awareness of trafficking and criminally prosecute
and punish sex traffickers over the reporting period.
The government also took steps to shut down labor
recruitment agencies believed to be using deceptive
recruiting practices and opened cases for forced
child labor. Bangladesh did not, however, report any
criminal convictions or prison sentences for acts of
involuntary servitude. Bangladesh should prosecute
labor trafficking offenses and seek the imposition of
criminal penalties for deceptive recruitment practices
that facilitate trafficking, and should increase efforts
to combat internal trafficking for forced labor and
sexual exploitation. Bangladesh should also provide
more protection services for adult male trafficking
victims and victims of labor forms of trafficking.
Prosecution
Bangladesh made some progress in prosecuting
trafficking cases and began taking some action to
address trafficking for involuntary servitude. The
government prohibits the trafficking of women
and children for the purpose of commercial sexual
exploitation or involuntary servitude under the
Repression of Women and Children Act of 2000
(amended in 2003), and prohibits the selling and
buying of a minor under age 18 for prostitution in
Articles 372 and 373 of the penal code. Article 374
of Bangladesh’s penal code prohibits involuntary
servitude, but the prescribed penalties of imprisonment
for up to one year or a fine are not sufficiently
stringent to deter the offense. Bangladesh lacks
laws criminalizing the trafficking of adult males for
commercial sexual exploitation. In 2006, the government
prosecuted 70 trafficking cases and obtained
convictions for 43 individuals, with 4 receiving death
sentences and 32 receiving life sentences. Bangladesh
also arrested five immigration officers and one
former police officer on suspicion of complicity in
trafficking; their prosecutions are pending.
In 2006, the Ministry for Expatriate Welfare, the
Bangladesh Agency for Manpower, Employment,
and Training, and the main labor recruitment agency
organization agreed to enforce caps on recruitment
fees of approximately $1,200. Enforcement of this
cap is difficult because of deceptive practices by some
agencies, side-costs levied on workers illegally, and
general corruption. The government also adopted an
Expatriate Labor Policy identifying principles for the
protection of migrant workers abroad and expressing
commitment to taking legal actions against illegal
recruiters. The government opened investigations
against three Bangladeshi recruitment agencies
allegedly using deceptive recruitment practices and
raided five similar agencies in 2006, closing and
de-licensing them. During the reporting period, one
owner of a labor recruitment agency was arrested
on allegations of overcharging recruitment fees. The
government also reported filing 117 cases for forced
child labor. Nonetheless, the government did not
report any convictions of traffickers for involuntary
servitude during the reporting period. Bangladesh
should continue to prosecute and punish sex trafficking
and should increase law enforcement efforts
against labor forms of trafficking, including seeking
criminal penalties against any convicted traffickers.
Protection
Bangladesh did not make discernible progress in
protecting victims of trafficking this reporting period,
but continued efforts from previous years. Police
anti-trafficking units encourage victims to assist in
the investigation of cases against their traffickers.
Victims reportedly are not jailed or punished, but the
government does not offer victims legal alternatives
to their removal to countries where they may face
hardship or retribution. The government supported
crisis centers in hospitals that are open to trafficking
victims, but relied on NGOs to provide medical
and psychological care to victims. The government
also provided a building to a local NGO for use as
a shelter for at-risk children. Bangladesh developed
a witness protection protocol permitting victims to
submit testimony in writing or to testify in front of
a judge only. Nonetheless, the government reported
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