Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Bangladesh (Ratification: 1972)
Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 - Bangladesh (Ratification: 2022)

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. 1. Trafficking in persons. (i) Legal framework and law enforcement. The Committee previously noted the adoption of the three implementing rules to the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, 2012, as well as the adoption and implementation of the National Plan of Action for Combating Human Trafficking (NPA). The Committee, however, referring to the statistical information contained in the Government’s replies to the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW), observed that while there was an increase in the number of trafficking investigations and prosecutions and the measures undertaken for the protection of victims, the number of convictions were low.

The Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that from January to December 2020, 7,248 cases of trafficking in persons were filed. Out of the cases filed, 527 cases are under investigation with 411 persons being charged for the offences of trafficking and a conviction with a sanction of life imprisonment was secured in one case. In this regard, the Committee notes that according to the information from a news release of 2019 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) entitled “Human trafficking in the coastal belt”, human trafficking is a major challenge in Bangladesh, with the coastal belt and the borders along India being some of the most vulnerable locations. Furthermore, the same report indicates that 50,000 women and children are trafficked to India each year. The Committee also notes from a report of March 2020 from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime that Cox’s Bazar (refugee settlement) is considered as one of the hotspots for human trafficking in Bangladesh, and the Bay of Bengal is a major trafficking route by sea. The Committee notes that, in its concluding observation of August 2019, the UN Committee against Torture (CAT), expressed concern that a vast majority of trafficking victims choose not to pursue cases against their traffickers, often because of fear of retaliation and intimidation, as many do not believe that they will receive effective protection from the police. The CAT also expressed concern at the reported cases in which Bangladeshi border guards and military and police officials have been involved in facilitating the trafficking of Rohingya women and children. Moreover, to date the Bangladesh High Court has refused to entertain anti-trafficking cases filed by Rohingya and the authorities have failed to open investigations (CAT/C/BGD/CO/1, paragraph 40). Noting with concern the low number of investigations and convictions for cases of trafficking in persons, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that all persons who engage in trafficking and related offences, including complicit officials, are subject to thorough investigations and prosecutions, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice. In this regard, it requests the Government to take the necessary measures to strengthen the capacities of the law enforcement officials, including labour inspectors, prosecutors and judges, particularly by providing appropriate training. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application in practice of the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, supplying information on the number of investigations carried out, and convictions and penalties imposed.

(ii) National plan of action and awareness-raising measures. The Committee notes the Government’s information that two National Plan of Actions for Combating Human Trafficking from 2012 to 2014 and 2015 to 2017 have been successfully implemented and a new National Plan of Action (NPA) for Suppression and Prevention of Human Trafficking 2018-2022 has been adopted. According to the Government’s report, the NPA 2018-22, has integrated the strategies and actions provided for in the 7th Five-Year Plan, which is aligned with the implementation of the sustainable development goals. This NPA focuses on five areas of action, namely (1) prevention of human trafficking; (2) holistic protection of trafficking victims; (3) prosecution of traffickers; (4) partnership and cross-country legal assistance and (5) monitoring and evaluation. The National Committee against Human Trafficking under the Ministry of Home Affairs is the authority responsible for coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the NPA, and several Counter Trafficking Committees are established at the district and subdistricts for its implementation.

The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that in 2020, the Bangladesh Police conducted 235 training programmes on trafficking in persons which were attended by a total of 38,793 officials and conducted awareness-raising programmes for 892,051 persons. Moreover, the Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB) conducted 46,872 awareness-raising programmes in the border areas in 2020. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the activities undertaken by the Police and the Border Guards in combating trafficking in persons, including the training and awareness-raising activities relating to trafficking. It further requests the Government to provide information on the concrete measures taken within the framework of the NPA 2018–22 to prevent trafficking in persons and the results achieved.

(iii) Identification and protection of victims. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Bangladesh Police has set up a two-tier monitoring cell, one at the Police headquarters in each district which closely monitors all cases related to trafficking in persons; and one headed by the Additional Superintendent of Police which oversees the functions of the 64 district monitoring cells. It also notes the Government’s information that the Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Integration (RRRI) Task Force coordinates the initiatives to stop the cross-border trafficking of persons and a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was developed in this regard. The Committee further notes that in 2020, the Border Guards rescued 452 women, 191 children and 1045 men who were being trafficked abroad through different borders and the Coast Guard Force rescued 10 women, 10 men and 9 children from traffickers who were illegally travelling to Malaysia by sea route on 8 December 2020. The Government further indicates that victims rescued from trafficking are taken to shelter homes and are provided with medical assistance and psychosocial counselling. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken by the RRRI, the Bangladesh Police, the Border and the Coast Guards of Bangladesh for the identification and protection of victims of trafficking, as well as the number of victims identified and rehabilitated.

2. Forced labour practices. The Committee previously noted that pursuant to section 9 of the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, 2012, the act of unlawfully forcing an individual to work against their will, or compelling them to provide labour or services, or holding a person in debt bondage by threat or use of force in order to perform any work or service is punishable with five to 12 years’ imprisonment. It noted that the CMW, in its concluding observations of 2017, expressed concern at undocumented nationals of Myanmar working in Bangladesh, including children, who are frequently subject to sexual and labour exploitation, including forced labour, and Indian migrant workers who are subject to debt bondage in the brick kiln sector (CMW/C/BGD/CO/1, paragraph 31). In this regard, noting the Government’s information that no cases of forced or compulsory labour had been detected, the Committee requested the Government to take the necessary measures to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies to detect and investigate forced labour cases, and to provide information on any results achieved or progress made in this regard.

The Committee notes with regret that the Government has not provided any relevant information in this regard. It notes, however, that the CAT, in its concluding observations of 2019, expressed concern at the reports of more than 100 cases in which the Rohingya have been subjected to forced labour within Bangladesh (CAT/C/BGD/CO/1, paragraph 40). Moreover, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in its concluding observations of 2018, expressed concern at the repeated reports of continuing abuse and exploitation, and poor conditions, in workplaces, particularly in the garment industry (E/C.12/BGD/CO/1, paragraph 33(c)). The Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that all workers, including refugees, are fully protected from abusive practices and working conditions that amount to forced labour. It requests the Government to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies to detect and investigate forced labour cases, and to provide information on any results achieved or progress made in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of section 9 of the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, 2012, including the number of investigations and prosecutions carried out, convictions handed down and the specific penalties applied for the offences related to forced labour and debt bondage.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.