[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

BANGLADESH (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report - Bangladesh

The Government of Bangladesh does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.  The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Bangladesh remained on Tier 2.  These efforts included increasing prosecutions and convictions against traffickers, increasing investigations of cases involving Rohingya victims for the first time in recent years, and taking steps to lower some recruitment fees associated with the government-run recruitment agency.  The government extended its NAP to 2025 and published its first national study on human trafficking in Bangladesh.  However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas.  Although the government increased law enforcement efforts, it did not take adequate steps to address internal sex trafficking or official complicity, both of which remained pervasive; and it did not consistently hold accountable sub-agents conducting illegal recruitment operations.  Victim protection efforts remained insufficient, including shelter services and availability, and the government identified and referred to care significantly fewer victims.  The government did not uniformly employ SOPs to identify trafficking victims, including among vulnerable populations, and authorities continued to conflate human trafficking and migrant smuggling in many cases.  Furthermore, courts sentenced the majority of traffickers to fines rather than jail time, which weakened deterrence, undercut the government’s overall anti-trafficking efforts, and likely created security and safety concerns for victims.

Prioritized Recommendations

Increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes, including complicit officials, and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.  

Increase efforts to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, including adopting formal victim identification procedures and screening processes to prevent inappropriate penalization of potential victims, and refer victims to appropriate services.  

Strengthen the capacity of Anti-Trafficking Tribunal personnel to prosecute and adjudicate human trafficking cases, and expand tribunals to heavy caseload areas. 

Increase training for officials, including law enforcement, labor inspectors, immigration officers, and health care providers, on identification of trafficking cases and referring victims to services. 

Expand services for trafficking victims, especially adult male victims, foreign victims, and victims exploited abroad, and allow NGOs improved access to trafficking victims in government shelters. 

Implement and consistently enforce regulations and oversight of labor recruitment companies, dalals (sub-agents), and brokers who supply labor to recruiting agencies, including by eliminating recruitment fees charged to workers and holding fraudulent recruiters criminally accountable. 

Increase investigations and prosecutions of credible allegations of trafficking of Rohingya, including cases that do not involve movement, and establish clear procedures for Rohingya to file complaints in the legal system. 

Improve quality of pre-departure trainings for migrant workers, including sessions on labor rights, labor laws, and access to justice and overseas assistance. 

Increase oversight of, and protections for, workers in the informal sectors, including home-based workers, and enable labor inspectors to file cases in labor or criminal courts as appropriate. 

Increase monitoring to prevent child sex trafficking, particularly children who are experiencing homelessness or use the streets as a source of livelihood, as well as the children of adults engaged in commercial sex in brothels.