U.S. Department of State 2001 Trafficking in Persons Report - Bangladesh

Bangladesh (Tier 2)

Bangladesh is a country of origin for internationally trafficked persons, primarily women and children. Several thousand women and girls are trafficked annually from Bangladesh for the purpose of sexual exploitation, primarily to India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. Boys also are trafficked to the Middle East, where they are engaged as camel jockeys.

The Government of Bangladesh does not yet fully meet the minimum standards; however, the Government is making significant efforts to combat trafficking despite severe resource constraints and corruption. The Government has recognized that trafficking in persons is a national problem, has enacted anti-trafficking legislation, and has endeavored to arrest and prosecute traffickers. The law prohibits trafficking, and penalties for trafficking are commensurate with those for rape. Arrests are publicized in the press, and there were three convictions of traffickers in 2000. There is no evidence of government complicity with traffickers, but rampant corruption among police, border, and immigration officials severely undermines law enforcement efforts. The Government is working to address police corruption and abuses by offering human rights training to senior officers, particularly to the chiefs of the various police training centers. This training includes the issue of trafficking in persons. The treatment of victims is generally humane; trafficked persons are not detained, jailed, deported, or prosecuted for violations of immigration or prostitution laws. However, in an effort to combat trafficking, in 1998 the Government placed restrictions on Bangladeshi women traveling abroad to work as domestic servants for non-Bangladeshi employers. Bangladeshi women are permitted to travel abroad for other types of employment, or to work as domestic servants for Bangladeshi expatriates. Active local NGO's, largely funded by foreign donors, combat trafficking through awareness campaigns and provide shelters for some victims. The Government is cooperative with and supportive of the efforts of NGO's and civil society organizations, but resource constraints, lack of interagency coordination, backlogged courts, corruption, and poor training pose obstacles to effective efforts to protect victims and prosecute traffickers.