BD not complying with minimum standards to eliminate trafficking: US

The United States has said Bangladesh does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, though it is making significant efforts to do so. 'Authorities investigated and prosecuted more cases under the 2012 Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act (PSHTA), but continued to convict only a small number of traffickers,' Trafficking in Persons report 2014 mentioned in its Bangladesh part. The report said Bangladesh lacked a formal referral mechanism and authorities did not adequately train police and other public officials on identifying and assisting victims, according to the US Department of State. 'While the government implemented stricter criteria in granting licenses to recruitment agents, it continued to allow extremely high and legal recruitment fees,' it said.
Recommendations for Bangladesh
The report recommended finalising, adopting, and disseminating the implementation of rules for the PSHTA and train government officials on its implementation. It also recommended taking steps to sharply reduce all recruitment fees charged by licensed labour recruiters, and enforce violations with criminal sanctions; increasing efforts to prosecute trafficking cases and convict trafficking offenders, particularly labour trafficking offenders. The report suggested taking steps to address any allegations of trafficking-related complicity of public officials, particularly through criminal prosecution; conduct awareness campaigns about the existence of laws against bonded labour targeted to government officials, employers, and vulnerable populations.
Prosecution
The government of Bangladesh maintained anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts. The 2012 PSHTA generally prohibits and punishes all forms of human trafficking, although it prohibits the fraudulent recruitment of labour migrants only if the recruiter knows that the recruited workers will be subjected to forced labour. Prescribed penalties for labour trafficking offences are five to 12 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than the equivalent of approximately $ 600, and prescribed penalties for sex trafficking offences range from five years’ imprisonment to the death sentence. These penalties are sufficiently stringent, and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. In the reporting period, the government continued to prepare the implementing rules for the PSHTA, but did not yet finalise them. The government reported investigating 84 new cases of sex trafficking and two cases of forced labor in 2013, compared with 67 sex and labour trafficking cases in 2012. All cases were prosecuted under the 2012 PSHTA, according to UNB.