Media role urgent to tackle human trafficking
Senior Secretary of the Public Safety Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs Manzur Morshed Chowdhury has urged media workers to play a more active role in creating public awareness to prevent human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
He made the call while addressing an awareness workshop on the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Prevention and Suppression Act 2026 at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday.
The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs in cooperation with Justice and Care.
Senior journalists and media professionals from different parts of the country took part in the event, according to a press release issued by the ministry.
Speaking as the chief guest, Manzur Morshed said the government is working with a zero-tolerance policy against human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
He said the new law, enacted in line with international standards, is a landmark step in bringing traffickers and smugglers to justice.
The senior secretary said the law not only ensures strict punishment for offenders but also gives special importance to the protection and rights of victims.
He said modern forms of crime, including online fraud, scams and ransom-related offences, have also been brought under the law.
“Enacting laws alone is not enough to prevent human trafficking. Public awareness must be created, and media workers have a very important responsibility in this regard,” he said.
The event was chaired by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Dr Ziauddin Ahmed. Joint Secretary Rebeka Khan attended as special guest, while Justice and Care Country Director Mohammad Tariqul Islam presented the keynote paper.
The new law provides for three to seven years’ imprisonment and a minimum fine of Tk30,000 for assisting traffickers.
It also includes a provision of three to 10 years’ imprisonment for bringing in or transferring any person for sexual exploitation.
Posting fake job advertisements online or committing fraud in the name of sending people abroad has also been made a punishable offence under the law.
The workshop was informed that investigation officers will be able to freeze traffickers’ bank accounts and search their assets by using powers under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
The Human Trafficking Tribunal will also be able to try related offences together.
The new law includes special protection measures for victims and witnesses. It provides for three to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for threatening victims or witnesses and two to five years’ imprisonment for forcing someone into a compromise.
The law also states that if a trafficking victim becomes involved in any illegal act against their will, they will not be treated as an accused.
