Human trafficking is a serious problem in Bangladesh. Thousands of children and young women are the victims of trafficking. Each year a significant number of women and children are being trafficked to India through Jashore and Satkhira border.
To combat this illegal trafficking of women and children as well as other forms of illegal migration BISAP emphasized to empower local communities through increasing their awareness and other preventing measures. BISAP have successfully implemented the project on “Combating Woman & Children Trafficking in Boarder Areas of Bangladesh” from January 2010 to December 2012 to reduce the incident of child and women trafficking through Jashore and Satkhira border in Bangladesh.
The project mobilized the Union Parishad and local communities to prevent human trafficking in the project area. Various activities were organized & undertaken to achieve the objectives of the project. The project contributed to reducing the incidence of human trafficking in the project area. This report will reflect the progress and achievement of the programme from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2012.
Aim of the project:
Reduce the incidence of child trafficking through Jashore, and Satkhira borders areas in Bangladesh.
Objectives of the project:
- Union Parishad in the border areas of Satkhira and Jashore Districts are proactive and playing an effective role in preventing human trafficking particularly child trafficking (through standing committees, watch committees and village police).
- 8 Upazilla Parishad of Satkhira and Jashore Districts are proactive and playing an effective role in preventing human trafficking particularly child trafficking Upazilla Development Coordination Committee increased awareness on child trafficking issues.
- Increased awareness of around 90,000 community people in 90 unions of 8 Upazilla.
- Children (especially adolescents exposed or at risk of trafficking including sexual abuse and exploitation) have increased awareness of their rights and implement safe behavior to protect themselves against child trafficking.
- The incidence of human trafficking particularly children through different routes of Jashore and Satkhira Districts is reduced by rather than to 10% from the previous year. The evidence has been recorded by the information from Union Parishad, local police station, DC information cell marriages registrar, Boarder Guard Bangladesh, and office of social welfare women and children affairs.
Role of Local Government
25 Union Parishad, Union levels watch committees in 25 unions and the main actor for this project. Most of the activities of the project were focused and managed by the local community. In addition 75 schools were enrolled and included and 75 children brigades are also involved with the project. Newly proposed 8 Upazilla Parishad have been involved for facilitating role to prevent child trafficking in this project. All these are the indicators for community ownership and involvement in the project.
2. Progress
Progress against Planned Activities
During project period most of the planned activities has been implemented. The table presented the summarized target and achievement of all activities of the project.
| Project Activities: | Target | Achieved | Progress (%) |
| 1. Meeting of standing Committees | 50 | 50 | 100% |
| 2. Watch committee meeting | 50 | 50 | 100% |
| 3. Orientation of Development Coordination Committee | 04 | 04 | 100% |
| 4. Upazilla Development Coordination Committee Meeting | 04 | 04 | 100% |
| 5. Drama Shows by Children group | 25 | 25 | 100% |
| 6. Film Show at School & Community | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| 7. Anti-trafficking Rally | 04 | 04 | 100% |
| 8. Film Show at Community level | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| 9. Meeting of Child Brigades | 225 | 225 | 100% |
| 10. Meeting with Media/ Journalists | 02 | 02 | 100% |
| Output – 6: Help line Service in operation | |||
| Help Line service for mass people-25 unions | 3,100 | ||
| Output-7: Provision of timely and efficient services to support child trafficking victims such as counseling, sourcing legal and social protection, family reintegration and rehabilitation. | |||
| Counseling Service | – | 03 | – |
| Rescue –child under threat, danger or being trafficked | – | 06 | – |
| Family reintegration | – | 04 | – |
| Rehabilitation- linkage with GoB and other organizations | – | 02 | – |
| Design/ develop Poster, Leaflet, Publication & Diary | 9120 | 9120 | 100% |
| Output-8: Others | |||
| Project Steering Committee Meeting | 02 | 02 | 100% |
3. Achievements and Result
The programme is being implemented in 25 unions located at the border side of Jashore and Satkhira in Bangladesh since last three years where BISAP with the generous assistance of Childreach International U.K. has implemented the previous programme for prevention of to reduce the incidence of Child Trafficking. Through organizing and formation of different committee like Watch Committee, Standing Committee and Child Brigades, Drama Team now the community people have more conscious and aware about trafficking issue. Presently they are able to think about their safety and know how to prevent them from trafficking. Community people are much more aware about human trafficking and tacking necessary measure to prevent this unexpected situation.
a) Meeting of standing Committees:
By 31st December, 2012 a total of 50 Meetings of standing committees in 25 unions was organized to buildup awareness raising to prevent trafficking in targeted area the number of participants was 252 out of which 82 female and 170 were male.
The standing committees of the targeted Unions Parishad have continued their support for prevention of human trafficking particularly child trafficking. Child trafficking issue have also been shared in organized awareness raising meeting and campaign. Status if organized Standing committee meeting with date, venue, male & female with total participants
b) Watch committee meeting:
During project period total 50 quarterly meeting of watch committee were organized in 25 unions. The number of participants was 429 of which 168 were female and the rest 597 were male.
The members of the committee used to collect information from the community and shared and discussed in the meeting of watch committee. The meetings tried to identify the root cause of incident and actions to be taken to prevent trafficking. Participants disseminated the messages of prevent child trafficking in the area.
c) Orientation of Development Coordination Committee:
Aim of the project was orientation of development coordination committee, the prime responsibility of the local government and central government and emphasizing on formation of watch group for monitoring the situation of children trafficking and providing direction to members of the Union Parishad to combact trafficking in border unions. Which has impacted mass awareness in anti-trafficking in surrounding unions.
After orientation of development coordination committee by 31st December 2012, total 04 meeting were organized at Upazilla level with involvement of Upazilla Parishad emphasizing the issue of the trafficking and measure have been taken how to combact trafficking involving grass root people. The number of participants was 89 among 65 were female and 24 were female the development coordination committee is paying special attention to prevent trafficking in the area.
d) Upazilla Development Coordination Committee Meeting:
Basic objective of the project is to organize Upazilla Development Coordination Committee meeting by 31st December 2012, a total 04 Upazilla Development Coordination Committee meeting were organized for protection of trafficking in operational area at the Upazilla Parishad adopting necessary policy and procedure to prevent trafficking.
The member of the committee extended possible cooperation for prevent trafficking issue in the area. The number of participants was 96 among 90 were female and the rest 06 were male.
e) Drama Shows by Children group:
For mass awareness raising on the issue of prevent children trafficking and ascertaining the root causes of trafficking in favour of the programme by 31st December 2012, a total 50 Drama shows was staged for entertaining mass people and children on the issue of Child trafficking and its consequence. Drama Group members organized and staged in Children Drama show in different place in project area. Huge numbers of people (around 8200) watched the drama.
f) Film Show at School & Community:
Film show is one of the strongest means of mass communications for sending awareness messages to the target audience. In order to scale up successful targeted interventions to prevent child trafficking and to reduce the vulnerability of trafficking under preview of the programme.
By 31st December 2012, a total of 50 film shows were organized at newly selected Unions on prevention of women and child trafficking. The viewer’s especially children their parent became much careful to deal unknown person and face critical situation.
g) Anti-trafficking Rally:
Keeping the views of the project to prevent women and children trafficking in operational area of district concern that makes trafficking a grave violation of human rights. By 31st December 2012, a total 20 separate rallies in two districts 10 in Sathkhira and 10 in Jashore on anti-trafficking were organized by Children groups where students and teachers of the educational institutions, Community well- wisher were actively participated
h) Film Show at Community level:
Film show at community level is one of the important component of the project for disseminating mass awareness messages to the community people which has created better understanding to combact trafficking. In order to scale up successful targeted interventions to prevent child and women trafficking and to reduce the vulnerability of trafficking. By 31st December 2012, a total 50 film shows were organized at newly selected Unions on prevent women and child trafficking. The viewers were community people children and women their parent and other people were present.
i) Meeting of Child Brigades:
Aim of the child bridge meeting is to motivate and idtentifily them self readily as victim of trafficking and can protect them self from trafficking risk. By 31st December 2012, total 225 meetings of child bridge was organized 100 in Jashore and the rest 125 is in Satkhira district in presence of 3713 child brigades’ members.
The organized meeting mainly emphasized on child trafficking issue and identification of child related problems, child abuse and trafficking, observation of different national and international days with involvement of community people. They also discussed to arrange debate, art competition, rally as campaign regarding child trafficking.
j) Meeting with Media/ Journalists:
To find out appropriate strategy to prevent human trafficking specially child trafficking in the operational area. A total 20 meeting with media/journalists was organized by 31st December 2012, meeting with media from local newspapers and electronics media were participated the meeting.
The organized meeting was emphasized and focused on the situation of child trafficking issue in project area as well as underlying dynamics and core elements of trafficking achievement of the project to raise awareness to prevent child trafficking among mass people through Newspapers.
Orientation of District/ Upazilla level officers
BISAP organized orientation of District/ Upazilla level officers at Jashore Press Club Auditorium. The main objective of this orientation was to raise awareness and enhance the capacity of all District/Upazilla level Govt. Officers to take effective initiative in prevent child trafficking, rescue, rehabilitation and social reintegration of the victims of trafficking in operational areas.
Help Line service for mass people-25 unions
For providing quick support and cooperation of missing, trafficking and rescued the operation help line service was functional. Through helpline service information sharing as well as rescue process is being obtained. This service helped in communicating information and instructions on trafficking and rescue issue from different level of people working to protect and prevent human trafficking. During the project period 10,500 helpline calls were made whom 7400 were male and 3100 were female.
Through this helpline operation information of several missing & trafficking women and children was received by the project staff and necessary help and support have been provided.
Life Skill Sessions for 600 Children:
Out of 600 selected peer children, the trained peer educators or child leaders (who received training earlier) have provided life skill training/ sessions to 898 peer children among 526 are boys and rest 372 are girls.
During project period 100 rescue of trafficking have been kept in the half way home and sent back their family four rescue arranged family re-interaction and two victim linked with govt. rehabilitation care and counseling.
Information Communication and Education (IEC) materials developed and Print
One of the major component of the programme is material development and publication for disseminating messages of prevent child trafficking for awareness building process and mass mobilization on importance of prevent child trafficking in favour of programme. During the project period by 31st December’ 2012, BISAP developed and published IEC and BCC materials 10500 and widely circulated among the targeted beneficiaries through different events and programme for mass awareness building as well as displayed in many important places which bear important messages to educate the community people, children regarding trafficking issue.
Significant Impact of the project:
Number of child trafficking decreased and increased the number of rescued person in Jashore and Satkhira;
| Actions | WOMEN | CHILDREN | TOTAL | ||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Trafficked | 46 | 57 | 43 | 57 | 18 | 15 | 103 | 75 | 58 |
| Rescued | 21 | 44 | 37 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 35 | 58 | 44 |
Source: Deputy Commissioners Office.
Action of UDCC:
The Upazilla Parishad is a higher level; Local Government Institute, after orientation of Development Coordination Committee and meeting they become more conscious for protection of trafficking and adopting actions to prevent child trafficking and child abuses in the areas. As a result the Chairman of Union Parishad, Upazilla member, Village Police, VGD, Marriage registrar and Government officials become pro-active and functional.
Dialogue with Police & Judiciary
BISAP organized 15 dialogues with the members of Police and Judiciary including the members of Jashore Bar Association. During the meeting burning issue of children and women trafficking and the law and order situation was discussed. The members of Judiciary and Bar Association assured their full support and cooperation in case of necessity. In this connection 10 general diary were made along with rescue by the law enforcing agency.
Case Study-1
Mina Akhter Sathi was a 15 years old un-married Muslim girl student of Mirzapur Govt. Primary School. Mina’s place of origin was village: Mirzapur Karigori Para Union, Khajura Upazilla Bagharpara under Jashore District.
Mina Akther (Sathi) came of a nuclear family consisting of her parents, one brother and one sister. Her father is a day laborer but afterwards became un-employed and mother used to work in houses as house-maid to manage the house-hold expenses and continue Mina’s education. All of a sudden, her father became sick and her mother had to sell all that they had for her father’s medical treatment. As a result, Mina had to stop going to school as they could not afford it anymore. Seeing Mina’s grievances a neighbor woman lured her with a job-offer at a Beauty Parlor at Khulna, succeeded to content her mother and informed her mother that it would be easier for her family to afford the expenditure of her father’s treatment in such situation. There is no other way than this Mina’s mother consented to her proposal and sent her daughter along with her to Khulna. After taking there the woman engaged her as house-maid helper in the house of Rehana Sultana Mina did not like being called her a domestic helper and wanted to return to her family. But the woman who brought her Khulna on promise to work in Beauty Parlor disappeared and then she understood that she was betrayed. After three days of working, she suspected the situation and managed to escape from the house of Rehana Sultana to Jashore with a man who knew her father. The return her safety at her house. Mina was taken to Jashore by the man along with another woman to whom he introduced that she was her wife. The man had preparation to trafficking her to India after reaching Jashore his wife requested her to take her meal and both were whispering while Mina refused to take meal. Both forced her to ride on another Beanpole Bus requesting her to take meal in bridal party a minor distance from Bus station which created evil intention. Then she started crying and ask for help in the meantime while both the man and women managed to escape from the Bus station. Dosrath Mondal Watch Committee Members of Jashore Purashava was coming from Satkhira who reached the spot and came to know in the matter and communicated BISAP’s Project Manager over help line number. Then Project Manager along with other support staff reached the Bus station and took Mina to the Kotwali Police station Jashore and filed a General Diary. Mina arrived at BISAP’s Halfway Home on October 08, 2011. Mina Akhter Sathi was happy with her prompt help and returned to her family members whilst being trafficked. She further hoped that she would raise awareness among other boys and girls so that other did not suffer. She thanks BISAP and Dosrath Mondal Watch Committee member for her timely help and family integration. Now she lives with her family in peace at Mirzapur, Jashore.
Case Study -2
Sonia aged 14 years was born in village Ratoli. Her father’s name was Sayeedul Islam Mintu and mother’s name was Sabina Begum of Upazilla Kashiani Gopalgonj, Shahapara of Jashore town. When she was 8 years old her father remarried. Sonia and her mother had to live in a very miserable condition with her poor income. Her mother used to do embroidery work and whatever money she earned expend for her daughter’s education, when she was student of class viii in Balidanga Progati Primary School in Jashore. Her mother was very busy with her embroidery work and stayed outside home most of the time. Sonia used to help her mother with cooking and household chores .Sonia’s aim was that after completing SSC she would become a teacher and live with a prosperous life along with her mother. Tenant women named Sharifa of neighboring house used to come in Sonia’s house and established good relation with Sonia and her mother. She often shared the suffering of Sonia’s mother and lull them. One day Sarifa, the neighboring woman gave a proposal to her mother for a better job at Dhaka saying that if she had a daughter she would prefer the job for her, Sonia’s mother agreed to her proposal for sending her daughter with Sharifa on good faith. The neighboring woman took Sonia to Sharsha upazilla Hakimpur Border by bus where one stranger was waiting at bus stand to whom Sharifa introduced Sonia with her cousin. Through Sharsha Hakimpur Border Sharifa took Sonia to Kolkata and all of a sudden Sharifa disappeared, After that Sonia understood that she had been trafficked. The man brought her five miles away from Kolkata and handed over to other brokers. In same way she had been handed over thrice to other brokers. At last, the gang sold her to a Sardarni in a brothel in Kolkata where she was engaged in prostitution, stayed there for two years and faced a lot of physical torture. Sonia always tried to escape from the clasp of Sardarni but could not succeed. One day Sonia came out of the brothel confinement on the plea of buying betel leaf and went to a house a little far from brothel where she narrated her sad story to the members of the house. Luckily the members of the house introduced her to a Bangladeshi visitor who was returning from his visit to India and spent one night at Kolkata. Then the kind person took her to the police station seeing her vulnerable condition. Police took her at their custody a few hours after discussion. Sharing police, then handed Sonia over to an Indian NGO’s shelter named “Songlap”. The Bangladeshi visitor collected name and address of Sonia’s mother and after arrivalatBangladesh the visitor informed the sufferings of her daughter Sonia’s mother thanked the Bangladeshi visitors for informing her daughter’s address of shelter and then she went to Kolkata and met Sonia. By joint cooperation of both the border security India and Bangladesh she brought her daughter to Bangladesh on 5th April 2011. Watch Committee President Adocate Saleha Begum along with BISAP’s Project Manager Abdullah arranged her family integration. Now she was emotionally stable and physically sound. After her family integration, she opined that the parent woman and children should be made aware of the scourge of trafficking so that other girls did not suffer like her.