20,000 trafficked a year
UNFPA report says
Staff Correspondent
Human trafficking, which is the third and most lucrative illicit business in the world, is an acute problem for Bangladesh. It is estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 people are trafficked from the country every year. This was observed in the State of World Population Report 2006 published worldwide yesterday. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) published the report and hoped to improve the situation of women so that they do not become easy victims of trafficking. he report mentioned that half of the world's migrated people are women whose work goes largely unrecognised. But women migrants contribute a great deal to the families and their home countries, the report pointed out.UNFPA Bangladesh Representative Pornchai Suchitta formally launched the report at a press conference at the Cirdap auditorium in the city. Shahidul Haque, regional representative of International Organisation for Migrants (IOM), and UNFPA Assistance Representative Nurul Ameen also spoke on the occasion. According to the report, South East Asia and South Asia are home to the largest number of internationally trafficked persons. Bangladesh is one of the largest labour-exporting countries along with China, India, Indonesia Myanmar and Pakistan. One third of labour migrants within the region are women, the great majority of whom work as domestic help, the report said, adding that many of these women also ended up working in largely unregulated sex industry. The UNFPA officials admitted that many migrant women from Bangladesh and other third world countries ultimately end their journey to entertainment industry and red light areas in the oil rich Middle Eastern countries. Shahidul Haque said the IOM would provide necessary assistance in getting back jobs of the Bangladeshi citizens who returned home from Lebanon during the recent war with Israel. "But there are many Bangladeshi returnees who do not have valid documents," he pointed out. He, however, envisaged huge job opportunity for Bangladeshis in Lebanon for its reconstruction. The government should pursue and take initiative for sending more and more people to that country, Shahidul Haque added.
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