Bangladesh urges global action against modern slavery

Bangladesh has renewed its call for stronger international efforts to address the lasting legacy of slavery and eliminate its modern-day forms, warning that its impact continues to shape global inequalities.

Speaking at a commemorative meeting of the United Nations General Assembly marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said the historical injustice of the transatlantic slave trade continues to shape global inequalities.

Dr Rahman paid tribute to the victims who suffered under slavery, while honouring those who resisted it, according to a foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday.

Describing the transatlantic slave trade as a "permanent scar on humanity", Rahman reaffirmed Bangladesh's opposition to slavery, apartheid, genocide and all forms of oppression.

He said the country's constitution rejects imperialism, colonialism, racism and discrimination, and stressed Dhaka's solidarity with oppressed communities worldwide.

The minister noted that his remarks came at a moment of historical reflection, marking 100 years since the 1926 Slavery Convention and nearly eight decades after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Despite these milestones, he said, the legacy of slavery remains embedded in contemporary societies, economies and political systems.

Rahman warned that while slavery has been formally abolished, its modern manifestations persist globally, including human trafficking and forced labour.

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