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TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN, WOMEN

Regional taskforce a must to implement Saarc convention

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
A regional workshop ended in the city yesterday with a recommendation to establish a regional taskforce to implement the Saarc Regional Convention on Trafficking to combat commercial and sexual exploitation of women and children in South Asia.
It also suggested formation of a special inter-regional law enforcement agency and tribunal to try the cases in connection with the trafficking to strengthen the prosecution system, protect the victims and witnesses, and take care of the trafficked survivors.
The two-day workshop on 'Improving and developing the strate- gies for the protection of the trafficked survivors' was organised by Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) with the support of USAID and Save the Children Sweden and Denmark at the Brac Centre Inn.
Delegates from government, nongovernment and international organisations from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal attended the workshop ahead of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit to be held here on November 12 and 13.
It was observed during the workshop that a large number of trafficked survivors are languishing in the jails of different countries, and the criminals cannot be repatriated, as there is no any extradition treaty or agreement among the Saarc nations.
The workshop also recommended amendment to Saarc Convention on Trafficking, as trafficking for camel jockeys, organised begging and sale of human organs are not included in the convention.
The workshop was also told that
a large number of women and children are trafficked from Bangladesh and Nepal to India, Pakistan and the Middle Eastern countries for forced labour and prostitution.
At a press conference after the workshop, BNWLA Executive Director Advocate Salma Ali said the regional convention on trafficking could not be implemented, as Nepal is yet to ratify it.
"However, Nepal is going to ratify it very soon, and the Saarc should come forward to establish a taskforce to implement the convention properly," she told the journalists.
She alleged that the Saarc nations did not pay due attention to trafficking issue which should be discussed in respective parliaments to create awareness at grassroots level.
"It needs political will, " she noted.
Salma Ali regretted that the issue of human trafficking has not been included in the upcoming Saarc summit and urged the governments to take up the issue seriously to
uphold human rights in this region.
She, however, expressed her satisfaction as Bangladesh government has already set up a monitoring cell to look after the trafficking cases at the district and divisional levels under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The workshop laid emphasis on sensitising the border police about the victims, strengthening cooperation in exchanging information, and giving logistic and legal support to them.
"Poverty and familial problems are the root causes of trafficking and these issues should be addressed on an urgent basis," said a draft resolution of the workshop.
Regional Representative of International Organisation for Migration Shahidul Haque, Executive Member of Bangladesh Association for International Recruiting Agencies Abdul Alim, BNWLA former president Advocate Fawzia K Feroze, Prof Rokeya Rahman of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Indian representative Manobendra Mandal and Nepalese representative Basanta Basnet also spoke at the