Rule of Law: Success Stories
Bangladesh: The Fight Against Human Trafficking
Amina (not her real name), a 25-year-old widow from Narayanganj district, went to Dubai as a domestic worker in January 2001. Her first employer did not pay her for two month's work and she was sent by an agent to another employer who tortured her physically and mentally. While trying to escape from sexual assault, Amina fell from the roof and broke her back and both legs. After several months of unsuccessful treatment at a Dubai hospital, Amina was repatriated to by a USAID-funded nongovernmental organization working with Bangladesh's Ministry of Labor and Employment. Seven months of specialized treatment at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed were required before Amina could stand on her feet again. In February 2002, Amina was reunited with her family in Narayanganj where she is now leading a normal life.
The practice continues of importing children, aged 2-10, from Bangladesh and other countries to the Middle East as camel jockeys where they are strapped to the necks of racing camels, although it is a gross violation of human and children's rights and has been banned by the United Arab Emirates. In 2002, Nasrul Islam, a Bangladeshi social worker whose work is supported by USAID, tracked down a ring that was ferrying small boys through India and Nepal to the Middle East. Based upon information Mr. Islam supplied to the Indian police, they were able to intercept six Bangladeshi boys, arrest and charge the ringleader and his accomplices as traffickers. Three of the boys have been repatriated and the other repatriations are pending.
USAID supports the Bangladesh National Women's Lawyer's Association (BNWLA), to serve as legal advocates for trafficking victims and to ensure that traffickers are prosecuted. With offices throughout the country and close cooperation with India, BNWLA is one of the most prominent organizations focusing on human trafficking. In the past two years, 122 trafficking cases have been investigated and filed, 199 traffickers have been arrested and 32 have been convicted with sentences ranging from 20 years to life in prison. This is the first time that traffickers are being brought to justice in Bangladesh. USAID is also supporting a nation-wide information effort to warn potential victims against the risks of being trafficked.
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