DHAKA, Jan 12, 2022 (BSS) - US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller
today said it is priority of the US government to work together with
Bangladesh in curbing human trafficking.
"Working with you to fight human trafficking is a priority of the US
Embassy," he said while inaugurating a counter-human trafficking workshop for
tribunal judges in Dhaka along with Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Minister, Anisul Huq.
Highlighting US support for Bangladesh's counter-human trafficking
programs, Ambassador Miller said the workshop reaffirms the US commitment to
partner with Bangladesh government, civil society, the private sector, and
trafficking survivors to end trafficking in persons.
"Human trafficking is modern slavery. It has no place in our world.
Anywhere," he said.
Despite the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act of 2012,
American and Bangladeshi law enforcement and judicial partners recognize
prosecution and conviction rates for human trafficking can be improved, said
a press release issued by US embassy here.
USAID's $10 million FSTIP project is helping Bangladesh more effectively
prosecute and convict human traffickers though training like this week's
workshop for justice sector officers, prosecutors, and judges.
Bangladesh's attainment of Tier 2 status for the last two consecutive
years in the US Department of State's TIP Report demonstrates the growing
success of the US-Bangladesh partnership combatting human trafficking, said
the release.
With US support, the Bangladesh government has strengthened the justice
sector's ability to prosecute trafficking offenders as in the past five
years, USAID has trained 569 judges and more than 1,000 police, public
prosecutors, and lawyers on human trafficking issues so trafficking
perpetrators can be caught, tried, and punished.
The US programs and funding also support community organizations to provide
shelter, healthcare, counseling, life-skills and entrepreneurship training,
and job placement to over 3,000 trafficking survivors.
