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Police estimate more than 15,000 women and children are smuggled out of Bangladesh
every year. ("Boys, rescued in India while being smuggled to become jockeys
in camel races," www.elsiglo.com, 19
February 1998)
As of February 1998, there were 200 Bangladeshi children and women awaiting
repatriation in different Indian shelters. ("Boys, rescued in India while
being smuggled to become jockeys in camel races," www.elsiglo.com,
19 February 1998)
Bangladesh and Nepal are the main sources of trafficked children in south
Asia. (Masako Iijima, "S. Asia urged to unite against child prostitution,"
Reuters, 19 June 1998)
27,000 Bangladeshi women and children have been forced into prostitution
in Indian brothels. (Centre for Women and Children Studies reports,
"Women Forced into Indian Brothels," June 1998)
More than 200,000 Bangladeshi women were trafficked from 1990 to 1997,
with 6,000 children trafficked, abducted or reported missing during
that time. (Center for Women and Children¹s Study report, Zahiduzzaman
Faruque, "Women, children trafficking in Bangladesh," Kyodo, 5 May 1998)
Over the last decade, 200,000 Bangladeshi girls were lured under false circumstances
and sold into the sex industry in nations including Pakistan, India and the
Middle East. (Tabibul Islam, "Rape of Minors Worry Parents," Inter Press
Service, 8 April 1998)
More than 15,000 women and children are trafficked out of Bangladesh every
year. (Police
estimates, 19 February 1998)
Every day, over 50 women and children are trafficked out of Bangladesh
through the land border areas. (Trafficking in Women and Children: The
Cases of Bangladesh, UBINIG, p.8, 1995)
500 Bangladeshi women are illegally transported into Pakistan every day.
(Press Statement, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, "Open sale
of little girls at Tanbaza brothel," Daily Star, 2 July 1998)
About 200 Bangladeshi women and children are smuggled out of the country
each day, most end up as prostitutes. Many of the women and children are extremely
poor, and lured with false promises. ("Human Smuggling from Banglsdesh at
alarming level," Reuters, 26 may 1997)
In Bangladesh, the collection points for trafficked women are usually
far from the border points. Women rescued in Dinajpur (in the North)
were from Cox¹s Bazar (in the South). Girls from the southern part of
Bangladesh are usually trafficked across the northern borders. (Trafficking
in Women and Children: The Cases of Bangladesh, p.19, UBINIG, 1995)
During the past ten years an organized gang sold more than 10,000 women from
Chapainababong to traffickers. A young girl was sold by her mother to a trafficker
for 10,000 takas. Families are targeted who have daughters eligible for marriage
and are very poor. There is a demand for Bangladeshi girls. (Daily Sangbad
report, 16 August 1993, Trafficking in Women and Children: The Cases of Bangladesh,
pp.34, 35 & 36, Daily Sangbad, 16 August 1993, UBINIG, 1995)
In Kushtia area, some villages are used as stations for the traffickers.
Rajshahi borders of Bidirpur and Premtali are used because there are fewer
check points. Jessore border is very popular with traffickers. Some hotels
and godwons are used to keep the girls brought from different parts of the
country. At least 13 women are being trafficked every day. In eight months
police could rescue only 28 women who were being trafficked, and arrest 38
traffickers. Usually the traffickers are not accompanying the women while
crossing the border. Therefore, it is difficult for the border police to arrest
them. There are female members in the trafficking gang, which helps to hide
their identity." (Ittefak, 15 October 1990, police sources, Trafficking in
Women and Children: The Cases of Bangladesh, pp.19 & 20, UBINIG, 1995)
30,000 Bangladeshi women are in brothels in Calcutta, India. ("Human Smuggling
from Banglsdesh at alarming level," Reuters, 26 may 1997)
In 1994, 2,000 Bangladeshi women were prostituted in 6 cities in India. (CATW
- Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
There are 200 trafficked Bangladeshi women and children in detention centers
in India awaiting repatriation. (Estimates,
19 February 1998)
Between January 1990 and September 1997, there were 2,545 cases of trafficked
children reported in the media in Bangladesh - 1,262 boys and 1,283
girls. During the same time period, 2,212 trafficked children were rescued.
(President of the Centre for Women and Children Studies, Ishrat Shamin,
"Trafficking in Women and Children: A Human Rights Crisis)
Between January 1990 and September 1997, there were 845 cases of kidnapped
children reported in the media in Bangladesh. 512 or 84% were rescued.
(President of the Centre for Women and Children Studies, Ishrat Shamin,
"Trafficking in Women and Children: A Human Rights Crisis)
74 people, including 14 children, were rescued from Satkhira, en route to
the border to India. The traffickers had taken 2000 to 5000 takas from each
person. (Dainik Bangla report, 8 October1993, Trafficking in Women and Children:
The Cases of Bangladesh, p.33, Dainik Bangla, 8 October 1993, UBINIG,
1995)
The price for girls is between Tk. 10,000 to Tk. 30,000 for beautiful and
healthy girls. Children are bought for Tk. 7,000 to Tk. 8,000. (Trafficking
in Women and Children: The Cases of Bangladesh, pp. 20 &21, UBINIG,
1995)
2.7% of prostitutes in India are Bangladeshi, the largest population
of foreigners. The majority of these females are under 18. (Social Welfare
Board of India, Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National
Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")
Between January 1990 and September 1997, there were 2,662 cases of
missing children reported in the media in Bangladesh. Only 228 missing
children, or 9 percent, were rescued. (President of the Centre for Women
and Children Studies, Ishrat Shamin, "Trafficking in Women and Children:
A Human Rights Crisis)
Children from middle class families risk kidnapping from schools and being
trafficking to Middle Eastern countries. (Trafficking in Women and Children:
The Cases of Bangladesh, p.9, UBINIG, 1995)
There are two basic methods that traffickers obtain women and children: One
is to kidnap them. The second, is to lure the women with false promises of
jobs and marriage options. Traffickers pose as prospective grooms, then take
the girls out of the border as their wives. (Trafficking in Women and Children:
The Cases of Bangladesh, pp.16 &17, UBINIG, 1995)
Girls are sold to traffickers by their parents who consider them to
be a burden after a certain age. (Trafficking in Women and Children:
The Cases of Bangladesh, p.17, UBINIG, 1995)
Women, who believe that traffickers will assist them to find legitimate jobs,
pay traffickers from Tk. 2000 to Tk. 6000. (Trafficking in Women and Children:
The Cases of Bangladesh, p.18, UBINIG, 1995)
Women and children from India are sent to nations of the Middle East
daily. Girl children in prostitution and domestic service in India,
Pakistan and the Middle East are tortured, held in virtual imprisonment,
sexually abused, and raped. (Indrani Sinha, SANLAAP India, "Paper on
Globalization and Human Rights")
Sanlaap shelter Sneha has 25 to 30 rescued prostituted children. 60%
of the children rescued from prostitution are HIV positive. (Indrani
Sinha, SANLAAP India, "Paper on Globalization and Human Rights")
10,000 Bangladeshi children are in brothels in Bombay and Goa India. (Trafficking
Watch Bangladesh, "Human Smuggling from Banglsdesh at alarming level," Reuters,
26 may 1997.
Methods and Techniques of Trafficking
Traffickers use 20 main points in 16 western districts of Bangladesh
near the Indian border. The main trafficking route is Dhaka-Mumbai-Karachi-Dubai.
Many of the victims end up in Middle East nations. (Zahiduzzaman Faruque
"Women, children trafficking in Bangladesh" Kyodo, 5 May 1998)
In India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, child marriage is accepted,
and considered the best method to procure girls for prostitution. (Indrani
Sinha, SANLAAP India, "Paper on Globalization and Human Rights")
Forms of trafficking include fake marriages, sale by parents to "uncles"
offering jobs, auctions to brothel owners or farmers, abduction. Traffickers
and procurers pose as prospective husbands to impoverished families.
They take the girls away and sell them into prostitution. A large number
of "brides" have been collected in this manner and brought as a group
to Pakistan where they are handed over to local traffickers. (CATW -
Asia Pacific "Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific"
(24)
Bangladeshi women have been auctioned off to farmers looking for a
combination wife and farmhand in Pakistan, India and Japan (CATW - Asia
Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
Bangladeshi women who are trafficked and prostituted in debt bondage
in India's sex industry are forced to work longer hours and serve more
men than local women. (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and
Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
Cases
In May 1998, 217 Bangladeshi women and children who had been trafficked
into India were repatriated. (Zahiduzzaman Faruque,"Women, children
trafficking in Bangladesh," Kyodo, 5 May 1998)
In 1992, 74 Bangladeshi women and children on their way to be sold
in Pakistan were found bound and gagged in the cargo hold of a boat.
(CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia
Pacific)
One trafficker was arrested and 46 people (12 male, 9 female and 25
children) from Jessore were rescued by police as they were being trafficked
by bus across the border into India. All were held in police custody.
(Ittefak report, 16 June 1993, Trafficking in Women and Children: The
Cases of Bangladesh, pp.31 & 32, Ittefak, 16 June 1993, UBINIG, 1995)
49 men, women and children from Cox¹s Bazar were rescued and 2 traffickers
were arrested by Savar Police. The people were sent to safe custody
and the traffickers were placed under police remand for three days.
Each person had paid the traffickers 3-4 thousand taka to assist them
across the border via Godagari, Rajshahi, Benalope and Jessore. Middle
aged men and women would be taken to hospitals in Bombay and Madras,
and their blood, kidneys, eyes, skin and hair would be sold to hospitals.
The young girls would be sold to the brothels in Pakistan and India.
Young men would be sold as bonded laborers. The traffickers prefer young
girls and children. For each young girl (the traffickers) are paid 10-12
thousand taka and for each child they are paid 7-8 thousand taka. (Ittefak
report, 28 October 1993, Trafficking in Women and Children: The Cases
of Bangladesh, pp.32 & 33, Ittefak, 28 October 1993, UBINIG, 1995)
Policy and Law
The Bangladesh constitution provides that the "State Shall endeavor
to prevent gambling and prostitution. "Reading the various provisions
of different laws, the prostitute is considered a victim, however, despite
rigid provisions, the Penal Code provides in the following sections
protection to women who are victims of the sexual offences of illicit
intercourse, such as:
Section 364A - Whoever, kidnaps or abducts any person under the age
of ten, in order that such a person may be or subjected to slavery
or to the lust of any person shall be punished with death or with
imprisonment for life or for rigorous imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 14 years and may not be less than 7 years.
Section 366A - Whoever, by any means whatsoever, induces any minor
girl under the age of eighteen years to go from any place or to do
any act with the intent that such a girl may be or knowing that it
is likely that she will be, forded or seduced to illicit intercourse
with another person shall be punishable with imprisonment which may
extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 373 - Whoever buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession
of any person under the ate of eighteen years with the intent that
such person shall at any age be employed or used for the purpose of
prostitution or illicit intercourse with any person or knowing it
likely that such person will at any age be employed or used for such
purpose with imprisonment of either description for a term which may
extend 10 years and fine. Any prostitute or any person keeping or
managing a brothel, who buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession
of a female under the age of 18 years, shall until the contrary is
proved, be presumed to have obtained possession of such female with
the intent that she shall be used for the purpose of prostitution.
("The Laws Are Contradictory," Sigma Huda, founder of the Bangladesh
National Women¹s Lawters Association, Convenor, CATW, 1997)
The Bangladeshi cabinet has approved the death penalty for crimes against
women including trafficking, rape and murder. They raised the penalty
from 10 years in prison following an increase in trafficking in which
the victims included girls as young as six. ("Bangladesh proposes death
for crime against women," Reuters, 31 March 1998)
Convicted traffickers can receive the death penalty. Only one person
has received this sentence. (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women
and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
The Penal Code of 1860 contains provisions for kidnapping, which in
general covers trafficking also. Inspite of there being provisions in
the Penal Code, these were not being effective in stopping trafficking
because of various implementation problems. In 1983 a new Ordinance,
the Cruelty to Women (Deterrent Punishment) Ordinance was promulgated.
It replaced the relevant sections of the Penal Code. This law increased
the punishment to life imprisonment and death penalty for kidnapping
or abducting women, trafficking of women and children, attempt to cause
death, acid throwing, rape etc. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
The Cruelty to Women Ordinance, passed in 1983, calls for sentences
of 14 years to life imprisonment for kidnapping or abduction of women,
but this is rarely carried out, as there are many loopholes. (Trafficking
in Women and Children: The Cases of Bangladesh, p.21, UBINIG, 1995)
In 1995 another law, the Woman and Child Repression (Special Provisions)
Act 1995 was enacted. It provides for capital punishment to offenders.
It debars the granting of bail to persons accused of heinous offenses
against women and children. The penalty imposed in section 8 of this
act for trafficking and associated offenses is life imprisonment and
fine. Section 9 stipulates a penalty of 10 years with a minimum of 7
years imprisonment for abduction to commit immoral act on women and
children. This Act provides for the setting up of separate courts to
try cases coming under it, one in each district. So far ten such courts
have been established. It is proposed to review their performance and
effectiveness before setting up the courts in other districts. (Bangladesh
CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
Official Response and Action
The process of repatriation for victims of traffic, who are often held in jail
where they are continuously abused and re-victimized, is lengthy due
to a general lack of action and interest of Bangladeshi embassies, and
the bureaucracy between the Ministries of Women and Child Affairs, Home
Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Social Welfare. (Fawzia Karim Firoze &
Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh
Country Paper: Law and Legislation")
Hundreds, and maybe thousands, of Bangladeshi women and children are
held in foreign prisons, jails, shelters and detention centers awaiting
repatriation. Many have been held for years. In India, 26 women, 27
girls, 71 boys and 13 children of unknown gender are held in Lilua Shelter,
Calcutta; Sheha Shelter, Calcutta; Anando Ashram, Calcutta; Alipur Children's
Home, Delhi; Nirmal Chaya Children's Home, Delhi; Prayas Observation
House for Boys; Delhi; Tihar Jail, Delhi; Udavam Kalanger, Bangalore;
Umar Khadi, Bangaore; Kishalay, West Bengal; Kuehbihar, West Bengal
and Baharampur, West Bengal. (Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the
Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper:
Law and Legislation")
Barisal Police arrested two traffickers and rescued 100 men, women
and children who were to be sent to India illegally. The victims were
kept in Sagorika Hotel after being lured by the promise of jobs in India.
They came from Sandip, Hatia, and different islands of Noakhali, and
were transported by ship from Chittagong. The traffickers received 600-1000
Taka from each person as transportation cost. (Ittefak and Jonokontho
reports 15 December 1993, Trafficking in Women and Children: The Cases
of Bangladesh, p.24, Ittefak and Jonokontho, 15 December 1993, UBINIG,
1995)
In 1992, Bombay, India, police intercepted the traffic of 25 children,
5 to 8 years old. The children and trafficker were held in the same
jail. Three years later, 12 of the children were returned to their homes.
(Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer
Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")
The Government is aware of the problem of trafficking and has taken
up measures to prevent it. One such measure is the strengthening of
border posts. However, the sheer length of Bangladesh's border with
India and Burma makes it impossible to prevent people crossing the borders.
Another measure is the strengthening of legislation and increasing punishments
for trafficking. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
In July 1993 a case was filed against a woman, who trafficked three
young girls to India in previous months. Bhorer Kagoj, 29 October 1993,
Trafficking in Women and Children: The Cases of Bangladesh, p.28, Bhorer
Kagoj, 29 October 1993, UBINIG, 1995)
Action of NGOs
At a recently held workshop on child trafficking organized by the Bangladesh
Shishu Adhikar Forum in December, 1996 a South-East Asian and a National
Action Plan were prepared for NGOs active in the area of trafficking.
It was decided to undertake networking and training on databases/information
and experience sharing by a Core Group with representatives from Nepal,
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. The first meeting of the regional Core
Group will take place in March 1997 and training is to be arranged between
August and December 1997. The Bangladesh National Plan focuses on legal
protection through implementation of existing laws; awareness raising
on trafficking; awareness raising and training on laws related to trafficking.
It is proposed that law-enforcing agencies in collaboration with NGOs
mobilize the community through local government bodies, educational
institutions, religious institutions and at the national level through
the media. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
In Bangladesh, there is only one shelter with the means to help victims
of trafficking. The women and children have awaited repatriation there
for as long as 4 1/2 years. (Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the
Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper:
Law and Legislation")
Official Corruption and Collaboration
Although laws against trafficking exist, their implementation remains weak.
Although the new laws have increased penalties their application has
certain technical problems which are in the process of being identified.
There is scope for misapplication and harassment of innocent persons.
The law enforcing authorities and the judiciary need to be better sensitized
about the issues involved. There is a need for stronger action against
members of law enforcing authorities who are themselves involved in
trafficking. Regional cooperation is essential to coordinate legal and
administrative measures and procedures. Information needs to be shared
and extradition of offenders allowed. Victims are sometimes charged
with prostitution or immoral behaviour and put in jail. The repatriation
of Bangladeshi women trafficked abroad needs to be facilitated. (Bangladesh
CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
More than 9,000 girls are trafficked each year from Nepal and Bangladesh
into bondage in India and Pakistan, often with the acquiescence or cooperation
of state officials. (website,
22 April 1998)
In Bangladesh, government and health officials deny services to prostituted
women and their children on the sole basis that the woman is in prostitution.
("Govts urged to be more active against trafficking of women, children,"
Dhaka Daily Star, 30 June 1998)
Trafficking is carried out by regional gangs who are well organized
and who have links with the various law enforcing agencies, which is
why only a very small percentage of the traffickers are caught or the
victims recovered. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
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In Bangladesh, there are 60,000 -100,000 people in prostitution. (Government,
CARE Bangladesh, (Wijaya Kannangara, Executive International Division
Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation")
Approximately 1 million men buy prostituted women and children in Bangladesh.
(Wijaya Kannangara, Executive International Division Sarvodaya Movement
of Sri Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation")
65 percent of 135 surveyed women and girls in brothels in Bangladesh
were between age 11 and 13; 33 percent were between age 13 and 15. (BNWLA
survey, police estimates, Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh
National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and
Legislation"
There are 15,000 to 20,000 children in street prostitution in Dhaka,
most of whom are in prostitution before reaching 12 years of age. (BNWLA
survey, police estimates, Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh
National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and
Legislation")
Bangladeshi women, who have been in prostitution, fear and risk being
killed by their own families through honor-killings. (CATW - Asia Pacific,
Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
The Tanbazar brothel in Narayanganj is a market for the sale of minor
girls. At least 50 minors were kept hidden in the brothel, and when
discovered, police did not attempt to help the girls imprisoned there
or arrest the owners. (Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association,
"Open sale of little girls at Tanbaza brothel," Daily Star, 2 July 1998)
Policy and Law
Prostitution is legal in Bangladesh. (Wijaya Kannangara, Executive Intenational
Division Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation
")
The promotion of Export Processing Zones, which follow special laws
on all forms of violence, encourages industries of child prostitution
and other forms of sexual exploitation. (Fawzia Karim Firoze and Salma
Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh
Country Paper: Law and Legislation")
In Bangladesh, the justice system entitles a sexual offender to a privileged
position, which is a major contributor into forcing women into silence.
(Sigma Huda, "Laws and Legislation Relating to Sexual Exploitation")
Government and health officials deny services to prostituted women
and their children on the sole basis that the woman is in prostitution.
("Govts urged to be more active against trafficking of women, children,"
Dhaka Daily Star, 30 June 1998)
The Suppression of Immoral Trafficking Act, 1993 provides for punishment
for forcing a girl into prostitution. Abetment by having custody or
charge of the girls is also a crime. Section 11 of the Act prohibits
the detention of any female child under the age of 18 against her will
in any house, room or places in which prostitution is carried out. The
section provides a penalty of maximum three years of imprisonment or
fine or both. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
There are no statistics on the numbers of prostitutes. The Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics enumerates them as "destitutes" and does not recognize
prostitution as an occupation. The Constitution states that "the State
shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling"
[Part II, Fundamental Principles of State Policy, Section 18 (2)]. There
are laws against forcing anyone into prostitution or into "immoral acts"
(Penal Code 72, 73, 74). Soliciting is also against the law (Criminal
Procedure Code). However there are no laws against a person of 18 or
above engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money. It is sufficient
for a prostitute to have an affidavit delivered by a magistrate stating
that she is above 18 for her not to be arrested by the Police. That
does not preclude harassment and being asked for bribes. (Bangladesh
CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)
Prostitution is technically neither legal nor illegal but exists in
a gap in the law, as in many countries. Therefore prostitutes do not
have any legal protection, nor can the State take any legal measures
against them. As citizens they can demand the same fundamental rights
from the State, such as the right to protection and security, the right
to shelter and to basic amenities. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April
1997)
While laws relating to violence against women, including rape, apply
equally to prostitutes, in practice they are discriminated against as
they will be classified as 'habituated' to sexual intercourse and proof
will be considered to be harder to give/accept. Prostitutes are often
subjected to harassment and violence from the Police who are theoretically
supposed to protect their rights. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April
1997)
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