Call for strengthening trials to prevent trafficking
The speakers stressed on special training for judges and others so that a congenial atmosphere for running trafficking cases is created, ensuring proper punishment to culprits.
Civil Society members have called on the government to strengthen trials on trafficking cases to punish the culprits, which can dissuade them from committing the crime.
Lack of proper punishment for human trafficking is encouraging culprits to continue the crime, they said.
They were addressing a press conference titled 'Call to strengthen trial process of human trafficking cases and legal assistance activities' at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) today, ahead of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.
Community Participation and Development (CPD), a consortium member of Prevention of Child Trafficking through Strengthening Community and Networking, arranged the event.
The speakers demanded strengthening internal structure and the judicial system for effectively dealing with trafficking cases.
They stressed on special training for judges and others so that a congenial atmosphere for running human trafficking cases is created, ensuring proper punishment for culprits.
Sharifullah Riaz, coordinator of CPD, read out a written speech while Advocate Mohammad Rafiqual Islam Khan, programme manager of INCIDIN Bangladesh, Mohammad Momenul Huq, coordinator of Nari Maitree, and Shaon Islam and Mir Hazera, members of child task force, also spoke.
The speakers also called for raising awareness and activating anti-trafficking committees at district, upazila and union level.
They said though Bangladesh took up a number of steps, including enacting 'The Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012' and forming seven Special Tribunals, human trafficking (especially women and child) is still a national problem.
Human trafficking cases either are being withdrawn or settled outside court for various reasons for which offenders are not getting punished, they added.