City Desk :
Speakers at a programme have laid emphasis on stepping up efforts supporting the government of Bangladesh to address human trafficking.
A series of workshops carried-out over three days ( 27- 29 February) that brought together judges and public prosecutors from the seven Divisions of Bangladesh including the most trafficking prone districts of the country, reports UNB.
The workshops focused on seeking an exchange of experiences, addressing common challenges and providing input from the learned participants on the Bench Book on Effective Adjudication of Human Trafficking Cases Using a Victim-centered Approach, jointly developed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The Bench Book is developed as part of the technical guidelines on the interpretation and full implementation of the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act (PSHTA) enacted in 2012; a landmark in Government of Bangladesh’s commitment to combatting human trafficking in persons in the country.
This is a timey and critical initiative supported jointly under the a comprehensive counter trafficking programme to address human trafficking in Bangladesh funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) implemented by IOM, and the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants – Bangladesh (GLO.ACT – Bangladesh) project funded by the European Union and implemented by UNODC.
Speaking as the chief guest, Secretary of Law and Justice Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Golam Sarwar has said that the judiciary is a key player when it comes to the interpretation of the legislation ensuring victim friendly trial procedures and speedy disposal of human trafficking cases.
“Therefore, this Bench Book aims to serve as a legal resource guide on the adjudication of human trafficking cases in Bangladesh,” he said.
AKM Tipu Sultan, Additional Secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, applauded the organizers.
