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RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 3063
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0874
RUEHJI/AMCONSUL JEDDAH 0096
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 14 DHAKA 000177 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR: USAID, G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, IWI, PRM, SCA/RA, SCA/PB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP ASEC ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PGOV PHUM PREF SMIG
BG 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY DHAKA INPUT TO NINTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
(TIP) REPORT 
 
REF:A) 08 DHAKA 290, B) 08 SECSTATE 5577, C) 08 SECSTATE 132759 
 
DHAKA 00000177  001.2 OF 014 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 ¶1.  This report covers anti-trafficking efforts by the Government 
of Bangladesh (GOB) from April 2008 to February 2009. Paragraph 
three begins text. Embassy point of contact is David Arulanantham, 
Political Officer, telephone: 880-2-885-5500 x2148, IVG post-code: 
583, fax number: 880-2-882-3744, e-mail: arulananthamdp@state.gov. 
Compiling the report required 68 hours at the FS-04 level, 16 hours 
at the FS-02 level, and 20 hours by USAID FSNs. 
 
¶2.  From January 2007-January 2009 a military backed caretaker 
government, composed of a Chief Adviser and a Council of Advisers 
governed Bangladesh. The main goal of the caretaker government was 
to prepare the country for national elections and a smooth return to 
a democratically elected government.  They also carried out a 
popular fight against corruption. In the absence of an elected 
legislature, the President was empowered to promulgate ordinances. 
These ordinances will lapse unless ratified by the new Parliament 
within 30 days of its opening session. After successful national 
elections on December 29, 2008, the country swore in a new Prime 
Minister on January 6, 2009 and Parliament re-convened on January 
25, 2009 
 
ANSWERS TO REPORTING QUESTIONS 
------------------------------ 
¶3. The country's TIP situation 
 
-- A. The chief source of official information on TIP is the 
Monitoring Cell for Combating Trafficking in Women and Children, 
located at the Police Headquarters in Dhaka.  This six person cell 
is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) and collects data on 
trafficking victims and law enforcement efforts.  Monitoring units 
collect data on trafficking in each of the 64 districts throughout 
the country which then feed into the National Monitoring Cell in 
Dhaka.  Separately, the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training 
(BMET) within the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas 
Employment (MEWOE) provides information on the flow of migrant 
workers abroad.  BMET has offices in over 21 districts and has made 
registration compulsory for job seekers. MEWOE also tracks responses 
to complaints received overseas by Bangladeshi Labor Attaches from 
expatriate Bangladeshi workers. Additional sources of information 
include the media, NGOs, and international donor partners. 
 
There are no plans to expand documentation of human trafficking. 
These sources are generally reliable, though there have not been any 
recent comprehensive studies to estimate the number of trafficking 
cases that go unreported and the numbers that go abroad through 
unofficial channels. 
 
-- B. Bangladesh remains a country of origin and transit, 
especially 
for women and children. Trafficking also occurs internally. No areas 
of the country are outside of the GOB's control, but law enforcement 
capabilities in remote rural areas are limited. The Caretaker 
Government that was in power from January 2007 until January 2009, 
launched a drive to fight corruption and improve law enforcement. 
The GOB also paid special attention to unethical labor recruitment 
agencies that have been implicated in labor trafficking. The newly 
elected government has promised to continue these efforts. 
 
A significant number of persons (over 100) from Bangladesh are 
trafficked internally and externally to India, Pakistan, the Middle 
East (particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab 
Emirates) and Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia, for 
 
DHAKA 00000177  002.2 OF 014 
 
 
the purposes of sexual exploitation, involuntary domestic servitude, 
and debt bondage. No comprehensive studies of the extent of human 
trafficking in Bangladesh have been conducted for the purposes of 
statistical reporting. In the absence of quantitative data, it is 
difficult to characterize trends but anecdotal evidence suggests 
that patterns have largely remained the same from the previous year. 
 Civil society groups estimate that the number of women and children 
trafficked every year is 10,000-20,000. Trafficking remains a matter 
of serious concern for the GOB, and civil society and public 
awareness is high.  NGOs indicate anecdotally that the trafficking 
of women and children is abating. Simultaneously, they perceive an 
increase in the detainment of traffickers and the rescue of TIP 
victims. Between April 2008 and February 2009, MOHA reported a total 
of 251 victims rescued by law enforcement agencies, as opposed to 92 
over the same period last year, representing a nearly 173 percent 
increase. 
 
-- C. Victims are trafficked into a variety of conditions. Women and 
female children are often trafficked into conditions of sexual 
exploitation; some are sold off in auctions and subsequently forced 
to work in brothels where they may service an average of ten clients 
a day and contract sexually transmitted diseases. The Bangladesh 
National Women Lawyers Association estimates that the single largest 
group of foreigners in Indian brothels is Bangladeshi nationals. 
Young boys have been trafficked to the Middle East to work as camel 
jockeys in the past, though this practice has virtually ended. Media 
reports and some NGOs state that some adult men and women have been 
trafficked for medical purposes, and are sent to hospitals in India 
so that their organs can be harvested and sold off. Finally, many 
young men have left for the Middle East where they find their pay 
and working conditions to be significantly different from what they 
had been initially promised. In some cases their employers hold 
their passport, making it difficult for these individuals to leave 
the country. Quite frequently, the workers do not receive their 
wages, have amounts deducted from their paycheck or are 
significantly underpaid. In many instances they work for a large 
majority of time to simply pay off the debt they incurred to go 
abroad as laborers to the Middle East. 
 
-- D. The poor and uneducated face the greatest risk of trafficking. 
 Individuals seek employment outside their home communities and 
families are forced to sell their children because of economic 
hardship. In many cases the parties concerned are aware that they 
may be trafficked but take the risk anyway. Targeted populations 
include the very poor, migrants, ethnic minorities, flood and other 
disaster victims, runaways, the illiterate, and women who have been 
divorced, widowed, or abandoned. 
 
-- E. Depending on the case, traffickers include individuals with a 
personal connection to the victim, brokers connected with regional 
gangs, and recruiting agencies offering promises of jobs abroad. 
 
Some victims of trafficking report they were n enticed by false 
promises of marriage or employment. Traffickers may also kidnap or 
purchase minors from their parents.  In some cases, parents or 
guardians take trafficked children to a worksite and then leave them 
with their employers. Often, traffickers dupe poor families to 
believe that the traffickers can provide better economic or 
educational opportunities for their children but more often than not 
children are given away out of sheer economic desperation.  The 
Center for Women and Child Services reports that trafficked boys are 
generally under the age of 10 years and that trafficked girls are 
generally between 11 and 16 years. 
 
Adult males go abroad or to other parts of the country (typically 
Dhaka) in search of work as laborers to support their families back 
home. The vast majority of workers going abroad choose the Middle 
 
DHAKA 00000177  003.2 OF 014 
 
 
East and Southeast Asia. BMET reports that it processed applications 
for over 875,000 workers during calendar year 2008. mainly to the 
Persian Gulf countries. The United Arab Emirates was the main 
recipient of Bangladeshi workers in 2008.  Remittances topped $8 
billion in 2008, though NGOs estimate that as much as $4 billion 
more comes through unofficial channels.  Expatriate labor 
remittances are the second largest source of foreign currency for 
Bangladesh. 
 
While the majority of Bangladeshi expatriate laborers work under 
legitimate contracts, NGOs report that many are victims of fraud and 
many of those are trafficked, though exact numbers are difficult to 
ascertain.  Some are trafficked after arriving in their intended 
destination country or while in transit. Workers typically incur 
large debts (paid to recruiters or their brokers) to cover illegal 
processing fees for labor contracts and visas. The official ceiling 
for recruiting fees is 84,000 taka (approximately $1,235) but 
according to NGOs workers typically pay as much as 400,000 taka or 
more ($5,880). Traffickers often change the terms of the workers' 
contract or fail to live up to the stated conditions. They sometimes 
use physical violence and threats to compel involuntary labor. 
 
Fake birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates are widely 
available, and few people in rural areas register births 
(nationally 
less than 10% of live births are registered) or marriages. Many 
Bangladeshis use at least two birth dates: the actual date of their 
birth, and a fake birth-date used for official 
school records and employment purposes. Based on the ubiquity of 
fake/unverifiable documents, real passports 
are granted for fake identities. 
 
Progress on the rehabilitation of former camel jockeys in the UAE 
continues. Since 2005, the UAE has repatriated a total of 199 boys 
originally trafficked as camel jockeys following 
an agreement between the two governments. In the past year, the UAE 
has repatriated no former camel jockeys. (Most repatriation 
occurred in 2005 and 2006.) All but one former camel jockey have 
been reintegrated into their home communities. Unofficially, since 
2005, at least 32 boys have 
returned from the UAE to Bangladesh through other channels. 
 
According to GOB reports, no camel jockeys of Bangladeshi origin 
remain in the UAE.  Former jockeys report that some trafficked 
camel 
jockeys have chosen to stay on in the UAE and are pursuing other 
employment options, sometimes continuing in the camel racing field 
in capacities other than jockeys. (There is no evidence they were 
re-trafficked.) 
 
¶4. Setting the scene for the government's anti-TIP efforts 
 
-- A. The GOB acknowledges that trafficking is a problem in the 
country and has taken active measures, working in coordination with 
civil society and donor partners, to combat the problem. Trafficking 
has received attention from the highest levels of government, 
including the former Home Adviser and the Home Secretary and 
combating it has been a national priority. In Bangladesh, however, 
as in many parts of the region, human trafficking is most commonly 
understood as the trafficking of women and children.  This 
definition corresponds with the South Asian Association for Regional 
Cooperation's anti-trafficking convention, and Bangladesh's main 
anti-trafficking legislation. Thus, there is less sensitivity to the 
trafficking of adult males and bonded labor. Perceptions are 
changing, especially at the law enforcement levels as the efforts of 
the government and NGOs increase awareness levels. Although 
Bangladesh's labor and criminal laws penalize involuntary and bonded 
 
DHAKA 00000177  004.2 OF 014 
 
 
labor, there remains a lack of clarity on the definition of certain 
labor abuses and labor law violations as potentially being a form of 
trafficking.  However, the MOHA and MEWOE have accepted that certain 
labor law abuses and violations (including involuntary servitude and 
indentured labor) are forms of trafficking, particularly when 
associated with expatriate laborers. 
 
-- B. The lead agency in anti-trafficking efforts is the Ministry of 
Home Affairs (MOHA), which closely coordinates and oversees the 
Monitoring Cell. In June 2008, the Ministry also set up the 
"Trafficking in Human Beings Investigation Unit," with 12 police 
officers who are given special training on investigative techniques. 
 The BMET, within the MEWOE licenses labor agencies and places 
labor 
attaches in designated GOB diplomatic missions. 
 
The Home Secretary continued to chair the monthly inter-ministerial 
National Anti-Trafficking Committee Meeting, which was attended by 
representatives from other departments and ministries in the 
government.  The Committee's main purpose is to monitor the progress 
of activities undertaken by various government entities.  The Home 
Secretary also chaired the monthly meeting with civil society and 
donor partners, the GO-NGO National Coordination Committee for 
Combating Trafficking.  This committee includes representatives from 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Women and 
Children's Affairs, the Attorney General's Office, international 
organizations and foreign missions.  The committee coordinates local 
and national anti-trafficking efforts and works to share 
responsibilities, resulting in the reduction of overlapping 
responsibilities. 
 
Other GOB actors involved with anti-trafficking efforts include the 
Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Law, the Ministry of 
Information, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Labor 
and 
Employment, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of 
Education, the NGO Affairs Bureau, the Department of Local 
Government, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Department of 
Immigration and Passports, the ANSAR local militia force, the 
paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion, the Bangladesh 
Rifles border guard force, the Coast Guard, and the police. 
 
-- C. Bangladesh's inefficient judicial system constrains the GOB's 
ability to successfully prosecute trafficking offenses. 
Bangladesh's courts are plagued by a high case backlog and 
procedural loopholes that create significant delays.  Lack of 
sufficient training for judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement 
agents who draft charge sheets continue to constrain the 
prosecution 
of trafficking cases.  These delays create situations in which 
traffickers can pressure families to negotiate out-of-court 
settlements; for trafficking victims (or their families) the choice 
of an immediate financial payoff is more certain and preferable to 
the possibility of a court verdict in their favor anywhere from two 
to six or more years in the future.  Thus, the case backlog and 
procedural delays endemic to the Bangladeshi court system limit the 
ability of the GOB to successfully prosecute trafficking crimes. 
The GOB has sought to address deficiencies in the legal system by 
working with the International Organization on Migration (IOM), the 
Daywalka Foundation, and the US Department of Justice to provide 
training for prosecutors.  Overall resource constraints and high 
levels of corruption also hinder the government's ability to combat 
the problem of trafficking. 
 
Separately, the GOB also has special tribunals for adjudicating 
cases of violence against women and children.  There are currently 
42 courts in 32 districts of the country. 
 
DHAKA 00000177  005.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
-- D. The Monitoring Cell systematically collects data on 
trafficking 
arrests, prosecutions, and rescues.  This information is updated on 
a monthly basis and is available to Post and other interested 
donors. One of the functions performed by the cell is coordination 
and analysis of local-level information from regional 
anti-trafficking units. These regional police units are responsible 
for monitoring local trafficking cases and assisting prosecutors in 
moving the cases to trial. 
 
District level trafficking-in-persons monitoring committees 
continue 
to operate in each of Bangladesh's 64 districts, headed by the 
Deputy Commissioner (the principal government officer at the 
district level). Among other responsibilities, these local 
committees monitor selected trafficking cases and provide monthly 
progress reports on arrests, convictions, acquittals, and 
repatriation of trafficked victims. 
 
The Ministry of Home Affairs, now publishes an annual Bangladesh 
Country Report on Combating Trafficking in Women and Children.  The 
last report was published in February 2008.  Post will provide the 
latest version to G/TIP as soon as it is available. 
 
Following the monthly GO-NGO and National Anti-Trafficking Committee 
meetings, the government takes action to prevent trafficking through 
public service announcements and other outreach activities, to 
coordinate victim care while moving towards minimum care standards 
and to bring in 
other actors, as needed, to enhance the prosecution of cases. 
 
The GOB is also conducting several public awareness programs under 
the aegis of the National Action Plan on TIP, 2008. 
 
¶5. Investigation and Prosecution of Traffickers 
 
There were no new anti-trafficking ordinances promulgated in 
Bangladesh since last year's report. 
 
-- A. Bangladesh does not have a comprehensive law prohibiting 
trafficking in persons for sexual and non-sexual purposes.  The 
deficiency of Bangladesh's central anti-trafficking law is that it 
covers only women and children.  However, other provisions of 
Bangladesh's labor and criminal laws functionally cover trafficking 
offenses against men (albeit neglecting the trafficking of men for 
sexual purposes).  (NOTE: Culturally, it appears that men are not 
viewed as potentially being victims of either rape or sexual 
trafficking. END NOTE.) 
 
There were no new TIP ordinances in 2008.  See Ref. C for a full 
inventory of all TIP related laws and Constitutional provisions. 
 
 
-- B. The most common sentence handed down in sex trafficking cases 
is life imprisonment, but sentences can range from 10 years of hard 
labor to death.  In the past year, MOHA reports that convictions 
and 
punishments for trafficking under The Repression of Women and 
Children Prevention Act of 2000 (Amended in 2003), which includes 
sex trafficking and possibly labor trafficking as well increased 
significantly.  This included the following: 26 individuals being 
sentenced to life imprisonment, 11 persons received other terms 
, and no death sentences as opposed to 11 individuals receiving life 
imprisonment, four receiving other terms and no one receiving death 
sentences the year before. 
 
 
DHAKA 00000177  006.2 OF 014 
 
 
-- C. Comprehensive statistics on the prosecution of labor abuse 
violations are not available.  The Bangladesh Labor Act of 
2006 is applicable domestically, while domestic labor 
trafficking violations involving women and children have been 
prosecuted under The Repression of Women and Children Prevention 
Act 
of 2000 (Amended in 2003). MEWOE regulates expatriate worker 
recruitment, guided by an Overseas Workers Policy adopted by the GOB 
in October 2006. Prosecutions for labor trafficking violations are 
generally conducted under anti-corruption, breach of contract, and 
fraud statutes; these constitute a mix of potential civil and 
criminal 
liabilities. The most common penalties for violations are generally 
civil: these include de-licensing, closure of the involved agency, 
forfeiture of security bonds, as well as fines. 
 
In 2007, the MEWOE and BMET continued enforcement action on labor 
recruiting agencies. In order to obtain a license, labor recruiting 
agencies must provide security deposits of 650,000 Taka (less than 
US$10,000). (NOTE: 
The MEWOE is seeking to have this increased to 1.5M Taka or USD 
22,000. END NOTE.) If a recruiting company is shut down, the 
performance bonds are liquidated for payment of compensation to 
aggrieved workers, who may be victims of trafficking. 
 
-- D. Under the Repression of Women and Children Prevention Act as 
amended in 2003, the penalty for rape is a life sentence with hard 
labor, and a fine. If a rape corresponds with the death of the rape 
victim (aggravated murder), the sentence can range from mandatory 
life imprisonment to the death penalty. The penalty for sexual 
abuse 
ranges from three to ten years of hard labor as well as fines. 
These penalties are equivalent in severity to the crimes of 
trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. 
 
-- E. Government prosecution efforts against traffickers increased 
during the reporting year. From January 2008 to February 2009 the 
GOB investigated 134 
trafficking cases, arrested 166 people on trafficking-related 
charges, and initiated 90 cases (multiple persons per case is 
possible) as opposed to 107 cases investigated, 81 people arrested 
and 94 cases initiated the year before. During this period, 35 cases 
were concluded as opposed to 29 the year before. The courts 
issued convictions in 18 cases as opposed to 15 the year before, 
with 26 individuals receiving sentences of life imprisonment, and 11 
receiving sentences of lesser prison terms. The numbers of criminals 
receiving life imprisonment and other terms for the previous 
reporting period are as stated above: 11 and four. (Within the past 
year, the courts issued no death sentences for TIP related 
convictions.)  This leaves 38 persons acquitted in 17 cases.. 
Though early to make firm conclusions it does appear that once 
convicted, traffickers generally serve their time. 
 
Bangladeshi law treats certain types of cases as acquittals that in 
other jurisdictions would likely be treated as mistrials. Many TIP 
cases are settled out of court, and in some cases witnesses do not 
show up for the trial for fear of retribution.  Generally, these 
settlements are made outside of the legal system and involve 
informal arrangements of cash payments (technically, these 
arrangements are prosecutable against the person offering the 
inducements).  Since these cases are counted as acquittals, it 
distorts the numbers of defendants found innocent.  There is no 
mechanism for plea bargaining in trafficking cases, and imposing 
only a fine is not a sentencing option. 
 
Out-of-court settlements may be preferred by TIP victims for fear of 
retribution from the trafficker and because of the extended time 
 
DHAKA 00000177  007.2 OF 014 
 
 
requirements for a full case, which can take 2 to 6 years for 
resolution, on average.  Given the possibility of extensive 
procedural delays, victims and their families may choose an 
immediate pay-off to the prospect of receiving justice many years 
later. The social stigma associated with trafficking situations is 
another reason victims may prefer a quick resolution of the case. 
 
In 2008, the GOB continued investigations and prosecution of cases 
against labor recruiters who made knowingly fraudulent or 
deceptive offers. In early 2007, as part of a wider anti-corruption 
effort, investigators uncovered linkages between recruitment 
agencies and other corruption cases. Investigations are still 
on-going in many of these cases. Between January 2008 and February 
2009 a total of nine recruiting agencies were shut down, 25 had 
their licenses cancelled, six had to forfeit their security money, 
seven were suspended, and three new cases were filed against labor 
recruiting agencies.  In the previous reporting year, five agencies 
were closed down and four labor recruiters were prosecuted. 
According to MEWOE, there were 1,010 complaints during the year, of 
which 745 were disposed. 
 
MEWOE has taken some proactive steps to reduce opportunities for the 
deception and exploitation of expatriate workers.  The governments 
of South Korea and Bangladesh agreed to eliminate the role of 
recruitment agencies and to instead have the Ministry of Expatriate 
Welfare recruit the workers directly.  The GOB has also attempted to 
sign memoranda of understanding with various labor destination 
countries in order to get them to comply with minimum international 
labor standards.  In addition, a non-profit micro-credit institution 
set up by the government has been offering low interest loans to 
workers going abroad to offset the problem of workers incurring 
large sums of debt. 
 
MEWOE officials note in some cases of labor trafficking abroad, 
agents may induce returnee victims to not file cases against them, 
in exchange for priority treatment and placement in "good" work 
environments, with legitimate contracts. 
 
-- F. In 2008 the GOB continued implementation of trafficking 
courses for the National Police Academy, reaching a total of 2,827 
police officers. In the 2008 calendar year, IOM provided TIP 
training for a total of 
approximately 12 labor attachs going to 10 countries, and to 28 
land-port 
immigration officials.  The GOB continued working with USAID to 
develop and provide specialized TIP training for police officers 
and 
court inspectors. 
 
-- G. The GOB coordinates with other governments in the 
investigation, repatriation and rehabilitation of trafficking 
victims; the repatriation of Bangladeshi camel jockeys best 
exemplifies a systematic cooperation effort.  The GOB and the 
Government of India are collaborating on a joint action plan to 
repatriate child trafficking victims. Bangladesh claims it has 
completed its requirements, and is now waiting for action from the 
Indian side on implementation of the plan.  Unofficially, government 
and NGO sources report good cooperation with India's Border Security 
Forces, the Bangladesh Police and the Bangladesh Rifles on issues of 
trafficking and cross-border movements. 
 
-- H. There are no pending extradition requests involving 
trafficking.  There is no constitutional provision prohibiting 
extradition but Bangladesh has only signed an extradition treaty 
with Thailand.  Civil society has reported no further progress on 
the possibility of signing bilateral TIP extradition treaties as 
part of an initiative by the South Asian Association for Regional 
 
DHAKA 00000177  008.2 OF 014 
 
 
Cooperation (SAARC) to combat trafficking. 
 
-- I. There is no evidence of systemic government involvement in or 
tolerance for trafficking.  To the contrary, this issue has received 
attention at the highest levels of government.  Some NGOs, however, 
have spoken of a nexus between certain politicians and corrupt 
recruiting agencies as well as some village level brokers, 
politicians and regional gangs involved in carrying out trafficking 
activities.  None of this has yet been proven. 
 
-- J. See above.  In the past year there was no evidence of any 
links between government officials and trafficking.  In 2006, there 
were a total of four cases involving 20 government officials 
possibly complicit in trafficking activities which had been filed by 
the government or pending from previous years.  Two of these cases 
remain pending.  One of the cases was disposed with the five 
defendants being acquitted.  One other case was shown to be a case 
not involving "official complicity" and remains under trial. 
 
The police have taken a few steps to prevent complicity by low level 
officials in trafficking.  There is currently a surveillance team 
operating at certain immigration check points along with close 
circuit cameras. 
 
-- K. In 2000, the Supreme Court decriminalized prostitution for 
women over the age of 18. The act of solicitation, however, still 
remains illegal. (See above cited laws on prostitution, pimping, 
brothels, and 
trafficking.)  Women seeking to work legally as a prostitute must 
obtain a license from a local magistrate. The punishment for pimps 
is ten years to life imprisonment. The minimum age of 18 for legal 
female prostitution 
can easily be circumvented by false statements of age. The 
government rarely prosecuted procurers of minors (no prosecution 
data is available for this crime). Local NGOs estimated the total 
number of female prostitutes in Bangladesh to be over 
100,000. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated in 2004 that 
there were 10,000 underage girls used in commercial sexual 
exploitation in the country, but other estimates placed the figure 
as high as 29,000. 
 
-- L. Bangladesh is the second largest contributor to UN 
Peacekeeping Forces abroad, after Pakistan.  According to media 
reports, in the past, GOB forces were part of the broader 
investigations into abuses by forces in the Ivory Coast and Sierra 
Leone.  The MOFA confirmed that there were some allegations against 
soldiers in Sierra Leone but was unable to provide specifics about 
the outcome of any incident.  Figures about the actual severity of 
this problem are also unavailable.  According to the MOFA, 
complaints about Bangladeshi troops go to the Armed Forces Division, 
which can administer a range of sanctions within the military court 
system. 
 
-- M. Bangladesh has no known problem with child sex tourism. 
 
¶6. Protection and Assistance to Victims 
 
-- A. The GOB has developed a regional witness and victim 
protection 
protocol in conjunction with IOM.  This protocol includes a 
series of policies the GOB has begun implementing, including 
protections for trafficking victims and witnesses. District 
police monitoring units cooperate with NGOs in victim and witness 
protection during the trial stage.  Overall, the ability of the 
government to offer protection to witness is hampered by the social 
stigma that exists for trafficking victims and the relative economic 
power and influence that many traffickers have in society. 
 
DHAKA 00000177  009.2 OF 014 
 
 
 
-- B. Bangladesh is a source country for trafficking and as such 
does not have any foreign victims.  The GOB supports shelter homes 
and one-stop crisis centers in Dhaka hospitals.  There are six safe 
homes for women and children, which are manned by the Ministry of 
Social Welfare.  Because of resource constraints, the prevailing 
conception of TIP and the greater stigma women and children face, 
these safe homes focus on women and children. These centers, in 
cooperation with NGOs, provide legal, medical, and psychiatric 
services to victims of trafficking.  Victim services are also 
provided at NGO-run shelters.  This past year, a total of 204 
individuals were referred to these services. No information is 
available on the total number of trafficking victims currently in 
NGO homes: however, for NGO homes supported by USAID, over 410 
trafficking victims were assisted from October 2007 to September 
¶2008. 
 
-- C. The GOB provides victims with access to very basic legal, 
medical and psychological services.  The GOB does not fund NGOs to 
provide victim services, but there is good coordination and 
cooperation between the government and the NGOs. In some cases, 
MEWOE works with foreign NGOs to assist expatriate workers.  The GOB 
pays approximately 1.4 million Taka ($20,000) each year for its 
membership in the UN-affiliated IOM. 
 
-- D. See above. Bangladesh is a source, not a destination country 
for trafficking victims. 
 
-- E. See above.  Because of funding constraints the government is 
limited in its ability to provide long term assistance; this has 
largely been the domain of the NGOs.  The MEWOE operates four 
shelter homes to assist female Bangladeshi workers in Riyadh, 
Jeddah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. They report having three more shelters 
in Kuala Lumpur, likely in collaboration with local NGOs. 
Domestically, the Ministry of Social Welfare operates six shelters 
for female and child victims (including but not exclusive to 
trafficking victims).  These shelters have a total capacity of 1900 
people, and are located in the divisional headquarter cities of 
Dhaka (Tongi), Sylhet, Barisal, Rajshahi, Chittagong, and Bagerhat. 
In addition, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs operated 
three shelter homes in Dhaka: two in Lalmatia and one in Gazipur. 
The total number for the entire 2008 period is unavailable, but is 
likely higher. No statistic is available on the total number of 
trafficking victims currently in NGO homes in Bangladesh. For NGO 
homes supported by USAID, more than400 
trafficking victims have been assisted in the past year. 
 
The government also partially funds an IOM Project, "The Prevention 
and Protection of Victims of Human Trafficking in Bangladesh." 
Through the project, the IOM has taken started new ventures like 
coffee shops managed by trafficking victims and plans other 
livelihood programs to help reintegrate these individuals into 
society. 
 
-- F.  The formal process for referring victims of internal 
trafficking to shelter homes and NGOs is through the courts, or 
referral by the police or Home Ministry officials. 
 
Bangladesh's courts and police often refer victims of trafficking 
to 
 (NGO)-run shelters. Post works with four NGO shelter homes: BNWLA 
in Dhaka, Dhaka Ahsania Mission in 
Jessore, TMSS in Bogra, and ACD in Rajshahi. At NGO shelters, 
victims typically receive a mix of individual counseling, 
vocational 
training, health care, and legal assistance. 
 
 
DHAKA 00000177  010.2 OF 014 
 
 
Community involvement in anti-trafficking committees and pro-active 
work done by many local government officials  is also essential in 
identifying at risk persons. 
 
 
-- G. NGOs estimate the total number of trafficking victims to be 
approximately 10,000-20,000 women and children in 2008 thought the 
exact figure is difficult to estimate.  A total of 251 victims were 
identified and rescued by law enforcement officials and of these 204 
individuals were referred to care facilities by law enforcement 
officials. 
 
-- H. Authorities proactively identifypersons and communities facing 
a high-risk of trafficking in response to specific events.  For 
example, after Cyclone Sidr, in 2007, the government instructed 
police to be on the look out for potential trafficking victims. 
Prostitution is decriminalized for women over 18 in Bangladesh. Post 
is not aware of specific efforts by the GOB to screen for 
trafficking victims among women involved legally) with 
prostitution. 
 
-- I. The rights of victims are generally respected, and the GOB 
does not punish trafficking victims.  Only when no 
space is available in a shelter home will a female victim (as a 
ward 
of the police or court) have to stay in a jail. Since Bangladesh is 
not a destination country for trafficking, deportations and 
immigration fines do not apply. 
 
-- J. Police anti-trafficking units encourage victims and witnesses 
to assist in the investigation and prosecution of cases.  Since 
trials are rarely continuous, and even one witness's testimony may 
be heard in a handful of court sessions over a period of months, 
this type of support is important for mounting effective 
prosecutions.  Several NGOs assist and encourage victims to file 
civil suits.  However, no civil cases have been filed yet. 
Witnesses may leave the country with the permission of the court (in 
criminal cases) or by informing the court (in civil cases). 
 
Victims of labor trafficking abroad are sometimes able to get 
compensation for losses through liquidation of the recruiting 
agency's security bonds.  The MEWOE "wage earners" fund pays for 
lodging abroad and repatriation in some cases.  Typically, however, 
no back wages have been paid to such victims - usually the damages 
paid amount to the fees paid to the recruiter. 
 
-- K. Labor attaches deputed from the Ministry of Expatiate Welfare 
and 
Overseas Employment serve in 12 Bangladeshi diplomatic missions 
abroad: Riyadh, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama, Doha, Muscat, 
Kuwait City, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tripoli, and Seoul (replacing 
Tehran).  Bangladesh's labor attaches are specially trained and 
charged with responsibility for victim assistance.  The Ministry of 
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment received 1,010 
complaints 
between January 2008 and January 2009. Of these, the government 
addressed a total of 745 complaints.  In this period, the total 
amount of money distributed to expatriate workers by Ministry of 
Expatriate 
Welfare and Overseas Employment from recruiter's security bonds and 
fines is calculated to exceed 94 million taka (approximately 
$1,382,352).  NGOs concur that since October 2007 over 80 cases have 
been resolved by the government against the recruiting agencies. 
One individual received a pay out of over 230,000 taka ($3,382). 
 
In 2008 the GOB continued providing trafficking courses for the 
National Police Academy, reaching a total of 2,827 
 
DHAKA 00000177  011.2 OF 014 
 
 
police officers. Also, the government provided TIP training to over 
28 land-port immigration officials were in collaboration with USAID. 
 Training for government officials focuses on enhancing the capacity 
of law 
enforcement officers to handle TIP cases more efficiently, and to 
better protect and assist trafficking victims. The GOB provided 
specialized TIP training to its border security forces, the 
Bangladesh Rifles (reaching 7,181 members), as well as Ansar and 
Village Defense Party forces (reaching 833,778 members). 
 
In 2008, IOM provided TIP training for 12 Bangladeshi diplomats. 
MOHA officials also conducted an all-day roundtable discussion with 
IOM on the role of Bangladeshi diplomats in combating TIP.  During 
this meeting GOB officials discussed a new MOFA circular entitled 
"Guidelines for Bangladesh Missions Abroad to Combat Trafficking in 
Persons." 
This guidance instructed its embassies and consulates on procedures 
for assisting victims of TIP, on developing relationships with 
other ministries to facilitate assistance to TIP victims. 
 
-- L. See answers to questions above.  The government does provide 
assistance to its nationals who are repatriated as victims, but 
faces financial constraints.  Bangladesh's labor attaches are 
specially 
trained and charged with responsibilities for victim assistance. 
Although driven by a larger agenda of helping all Bangladeshi 
expatriate workers, support and advocacy services (for making 
complaints in the host country) are also available to victims of 
trafficking. 
 
The GOB works closely with NGOs to provide medical assistance, 
shelter, and legal and psychiatric services to trafficking victims. 
Abroad, at least four shelter homes have been established by the 
MEWOE, specifically to assist female Bangladeshi workers in Riyadh, 
Jeddah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  At these homes expatriate workers can 
receive on an emergency basis food, shelter and arrangements for 
repatriation. In Malaysia, MEWOE reports there are three shelter 
homes for both male and female expatriate workers; these homes are 
likely partially supported by local NGOs.  In all situations, 
MEWOE's Labor Attaches are charged to provide advocacy services and 
to assist with the provision of legal assistance to workers facing 
abuses or contract disputes. 
 
The GOB's rehabilitation program for repatriated camel jockeys is 
being funded by the Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE). Since 
August of 2005, collaborative efforts between the GOB, UAE, and 
NGOs 
have resulted in the repatriation of over 199 boys trafficked to 
the 
middle-east to serve as camel jockeys. The boys have been housed in 
government of NGO-run shelters, and have been provided vocational 
training and compensation packages of 104,000 taka ($1,500).  In 
conjunction with UNICEF, the GOB worked on a second phase to ensure 
the sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration of returned camel 
jockeys.  The second phase will address all former camel jockeys 
(since 1993), including 345 former victims who returned to 
Bangladesh prior to the 2005 repatriation program. Camel jockeys 
who 
became handicapped during their exploitation will receive 
compensation packages of 300,000 to 500,000 taka ($4,400- 7,200). 
 
-- M. Bangladesh has numerous NGOs working on TIP issues and 
assisting trafficking victims: 
-Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association: shelter, legal, 
psychiatric services; 
-Ahsania Mission: shelter, legal, vocational services; 
-Association for Community Development: shelter and psychiatric 
 
DHAKA 00000177  012.2 OF 014 
 
 
services; 
-Rights Jessore: shelter and psychiatric services; 
-Savior Jessore: shelter and psycho social services; 
- TMSS: shelter services; 
-IOM: training for diplomats and police, inter-agency coordination; 
-UNICEF: assisted in repatriation of camel jockeys, advocacy and 
training on trafficking issues; bilateral government activities 
with 
Bangladesh and India; 
-INCIDIN: child rights, shelter for street children; 
-The Daywalka Foundation: research, training, TIP policy advocacy. 
-Terres des Hommes (Italia): prevention, awareness raising; 
 
¶5. Prevention 
 
-- A. The GOB continues to implement an extensive, nation-wide 
anti-trafficking campaign targeted mostly at potential victims and 
law enforcement or other authority figures who could come into 
contact with them.  From January 2008 through December 2008, the GOB 
disseminated TIP messages in various forms, including public service 
announcements (PSAs), dramas, discussions, interviews and songs on 
the state-owned Bangladesh television (BTV), the only terrestrial TV 
channel in Bangladesh. They reported a total of 3,229 individual 
spots dealing with TIP in 2008.  The GOB also used the state-owned 
Bangla Betar radio network for TIP outreach during the same period. 
 
 
The Ministry of Religious Affairs continued anti-trafficking 
outreach during the calendar year 2008, including training religious 
teachers on TIP issues (with USAID assistance, approximately 3,100 
religious teachers were 
trained); they report reaching a total audience of 239,670. 
The Ministry of Social Welfare, reported reaching a total 
population 
of 6,727,822 people through discussions, consultations, training, 
motivation, rallies and posters.  The Ministry of Women and 
Children 
Affairs reached a total population of 700,333 persons with TIP 
messaging.  The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education reported 
reaching a total population of 13,723,523 persons with TIP 
messaging 
 
The TIP Monitoring Cell reports that anti-TIP messaging was 
included 
in monthly public outreach sessions conducted by Superintendents of 
Police, District Commissioners, and Upazilla (county) heads in each 
of Bangladesh's 64 districts.  Conservative estimates indicate that 
at least four million people received TIP awareness messages through 
these 
outreach efforts in 2008.  A total of 843,532 members of the police, 
Bangladesh Rifles, ANSAR and Village Defense Parties also received 
anti-trafficking 
training. 
 
 
-- B. From January 2008, until December 2008, according to 
government figures, immigration and customs 
officials did not encounter any potential trafficking victims 
at the border. The government instituted a three-stage screening 
process at all international airports.  Land border screening 
remains weak, though the GOB has begun training land-port 
immigration officials to on trafficking issues.  The Home Ministry 
now provides updated numbers of potential victims stopped at the 
borders and analyzes them with the 
assistance of donor agencies and NGOs to identify trafficking 
patterns. 
 
 
DHAKA 00000177  013.2 OF 014 
 
 
-- C. See above. There is a strong working relationship on 
anti-trafficking issues among government officials, NGOs, and other 
elements of civil society. Officials from various government offices 
collaborate on prevention, victim protection, and prosecutions. The 
central mechanism for coordination and communication among GOB 
ministries and civil society representatives is a monthly 
inter-ministerial trafficking-in-persons committee meeting, 
involving all relevant GOB ministries.  There is also the 
coordination committee meeting with NGOs.  Both meetings are chaired 
by the Home Secretary.  Anecdotally, several NGOs have noted that 
these meetings are more than just a "talk shop," but that they build 
levels of awareness and result in substantive output.  The MOHA also 
meets regularly with the Embassy to provide updates on their 
anti-trafficking efforts. 
 
-- D. The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs announced its 
National Anti-Trafficking Strategic Plan for Action (NATSPA) in 
¶2006. However, this plan has not been implemented 
by the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs. The Home MInistry, 
is developing its own action plan, the National Plan of Action to 
Combat Trafficking in Women and Children (NPACTWC).  There is some 
discussion at the steering committee level regarding the possibility 
of expanding the scope of plan to include trafficking in men as 
well, which would then include labor trafficking issues in addition 
to sexual trafficking. 
 
-- E. Post is not aware of any actions taken by the GOB to reduce 
the demand for commercial sex acts.  However, the Constitution of 
Bangladesh includes the provision of Article 18(2): the State shall 
adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution. 
 
-- F. Bangladeshi nationals are not known to be involved in 
international child sex tourism. 
 
-- G. The GOB reported that troops and police selected for 
peacekeeping 
missions receive extensive training on proper conduct while abroad. 
On the whole, Bangladeshi nationals value the opportunity to serve 
abroad and earn foreign currency.  Such assignments can be both 
professionally and financially rewarding to the individual in 
question.  The MOFA reports there are several potential sanctions 
for troops engaging in misbehavior of any kind.  These include the 
requirement to pay ones way back to Bangladesh, the threat of not 
being posted again on a second tour and more severe forms of 
punishments within the military justice system. 
 
NOMINATION OF HEROES AND BEST PRACTICES 
--------------------------------------- 
¶6.  Heroes 
 
Post nominates the Government of Bangladesh's TIP Monitoring Cell, 
which effectively supports both anti-TIP field activities and 
continual improvement in the policy and strategic approach to TIP 
issues in Bangladesh. On behalf of the officers serving in the 
cell, post submits the name of the head of the Cell: 
 
Mr. Humayun Kabir, Assistant Inspector General, Bangladesh National 
Police. 
 
¶7. Best Practices 
 
The national TIP Monitoring Cell at the Police 
Headquarters in Bangladesh should be considered a best practice. 
Since 2004, the Cell has collected, maintained, and monitored data 
on trafficking cases in all 64 districts of the country . 
 
The TIP Monitoring Cell monitors the movement and arrest of 
 
DHAKA 00000177  014.2 OF 014 
 
 
criminals involved in human trafficking, rescue, recovery and 
rehabilitation of TIP victims, prosecution of TIP cases and the 
progress of disposal of TIP cases. The Cell coordinates TIP 
prevention activities by relevant agencies at airports and the 
land-ports. Police monitoring units at each of the 64 district 
headquarters provide on a daily basis the central Cell with TIP 
statistics including progress on arrests, adjudication of cases, 
sentences for convicted traffickers and status of rescued victims. 
This is no small feat in a developing country with several areas 
that are remote and difficult to reach.  The Cell compiles and 
prepares periodic reports for the Ministry of Home Affairs and other 
TIP committees.  Apart from its work in combating TIP, the cell is 
one of the few reliable sources of data on TIP in the country.