UNODC Addresses Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Cox’s Bazar: Strengthening Efforts Through Capacity-Building Workshop

Under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants-Bangladesh (GLO.ACT-Bangladesh), UNODC organized a capacity-building workshop with law enforcement agencies to address Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM). The workshop, held from 30 to 31 August 2023, aimed to enhance the efficiency of human trafficking investigations in Bangladesh by focusing on both national and international legislation.

In its efforts to bolster the capabilities of criminal justice practitioners to proactively identify and investigate human trafficking cases, GLO.ACT-Bangladesh has been arranging workshops to deepen practitioners' understanding of the complexities surrounding human trafficking and migrant smuggling.

The workshop acquainted participants with essential international and national legal instruments, frameworks, and investigation techniques related to human trafficking. The second day of the workshop touched upon emerging trends on human trafficking and advanced investigation techniques. It also served as a platform for knowledge-sharing and coordination, enabling investigating officers to engage in vibrant discussions about handling human trafficking investigations. The workshop participants also gave their inputs on the reference booklet on the investigation procedure for the TIP cases to make it contextualized with the need of investigation at the field level of Bangladesh.

During his session Afzal Hossain, Additional SSP, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police shared existing mechanisms followed at the headquarter level, and shared ways field level officers can coordinate with the Trafficking in Human Being Cell of CID and other relevant organizations. He also shared some ongoing cases amongst which included an investigation of transboundary case, and it was one of the outcome of the bilateral meeting between Bangladesh and Malaysia on addressing TIP and SOM, an initiative taken under the framework of GLO.ACT-Bangladesh.

This marks the second workshop in Cox’s Bazar with the investigating officers organized by GLO.ACT-Bangladesh. A total of 20 investigating officers from the District Police, the Police Bureau of Investigation, and the Criminal Investigation Department of Bangladesh Police actively participated in the workshop.

To know more about UNODC GLO.ACT-Bangladesh, please visit -

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act3/index.html