Project Name : Rescue, Repatriation and Essential Services to Victims of Trafficking in Persons in Bangladesh

Doner : United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund (UNVTF), Vienna, Austria

Sector : Trafficking in Persons

Area : Satkhira district, Bangladesh

Time Line : July 2018 to July 2020

Brief of activities :

The project was initiated in July 2018 with the financial assistance of United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund, Vienna, Austria for 2 years duration. The main goal of the project is to assist victims of trafficking in persons. Major activities are to rescue and repatriation of victims; provide shelter, psycho-social counselling; healthcare services including medical tests, treatment and medicines; family integration; legal aid, skills training and job placement of trafficked victims.

Project Objectives:

Specific objectives are to provide essential direct services and assistance to 200 victims of trafficking in persons including rescue; repatriation; healthcare; psychosocial counseling; shelter, food, clothing, recreation; legal aid; family integration, skills training and job placement.

Project Activities of 1st project year:

Activity 1: One Coordination Meeting with the Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and   Reintegration (RRRI) Taskforce at Home Ministry:

The Coordination Meeting with Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Reintegration (RRRI) Taskforce for smooth repatriation of victims of cross-border trafficking was organized  during the 59th RRRI Taskforce Meeting from 11:00 am–1:00 pm on 22 May 2019 at the Ministry of Home Affairs, GoB. The meeting was attended by about 16 members of the RRRI Taskforce that included officials from the office of the Attorney General, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, Border Guard Bangladesh, Special Branch of Police, Official from Police Headquarters, UN Agencies, INGOs and NGOs. Mr. Abu Bakr Siddique, Additional Secretary was the Chair and Ms. Jinnat Ara, Joint Secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs was the facilitator of the meeting. Prof. Ishrat Shamim, President of CWCS made a presentation on the objective and activites of the project supported by UNVTF, UNODC.

Activity 2: One district level Coordination Meeting with the Counter Trafficking Committees (CTCs) at Satkhira

One district level Coordination Meeting was organized for networking and coordinating with local administration and Counter Trafficking Committee (CTC) at Satkhira. The district level Coordination Meeting was organized on 16 April 2019 from 11:30 am-1:30 pm at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Room, Satkhira. The meeting was chair by the Additional District Magistrate who was also the Executive Member of the District Counter Trafficking Committee and facilitated by the Assistant Commissioner of Satkhira district. About 27 participants from different government departments such as Department of Women Affairs, Deapartment of Passport and Immigration, Department of Youth Development, Department of Narcotics Control, District Information Office,. Additional Superintendent of Police, Court Inspector of  Bangladesh Police, Official of Local Police Station, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Public Prosecutors, Ansar/ VDP, Journalists, Teachers, representatives from BAR Council, INGOs and NGOs attended the meeting.

Activity 3: Seven Upazila level Coordination Meetings with Counter Trafficking Committees (CTC) at Satkhira

Three Upazila level Coordination Meetings with Counter Trafficking Committees (CTCs) were organized during the reporting period to identify, rescue, refer and integrate victims by concerted efforts of its members. Given below short narrative of the meetings:

Upazila Level Coordination Meeting at Kolaroa upazila was organized on 14 March 2019 from 12:00 am – 3:00 pm at Kolaroa Upazila Auditorium. About 31 participants that included officials from Department of Women Affairs, Upazila Social Services Department, Upazila Education Office, Upazila Agriculture Office, Bangladesh Rural Development Board, Upazila Food Office, Upazila Livestock Office, Upazila Co-Operative Office, Debhata Press Club, members of Union Parishad and NGOs attneded the Coordination Meeting. The Meeting was chaired by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).

The Upazila Level Coordination Meeting at Debhata upazila was organized on 4 April 2019 from 10:00 am – 1:30 pm at Debhata Upazila Auditorium. About 37 participants that included officials from Department of Women Affairs, Upazila Health & Family Planning Office, Upazila Education Office, Upazila Agriculture Office, Upazila Food Office, Upazila Livestock Office, Debhata Press Club, Principal of local College, Head Teachers of schools, members of Union Parishad and NGOs attended the Coordination Meeting. The Meeting was chaired by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO). Vice-Cahirman of Upazila Parishad was also presnet during the meeting.

The Upazila Level Coordination Meeting at Sadar upazila was organized on 30 June 2019 from 11:00 am – 1:30 pm at Satkhira Upazila Parishad Conference Room, Satkhira. The Meeting was presided over by the Member Secreatry of the Upazila Counter Trafficking Committee (CTC) while Upazila Woman Vice-Chairman was present as the Special Guest. About 30  participants that included officials from Counter Trafficking Committee (CTC), Upazila Education Office, Upazila Agriculture Office, Journalists, members of the Upazila Parishad and NGOs have attended the Coordination Meeting.

Activity 4: Rescue and repatriation of 200 victims

During the reporting period, about 97 victims of trafficking in persons were rescued and repatriated. Among them, 14 women, 2 men, 12 girls and 2 boys were rescued from various places or bordering areas of Satkhira with the support of CTC members, local community, local NGOs, CWC members and law enforcing agencies. On the other hand, 35 women, 14 men, 10 girls and 9 boys were rescued in India and repatriated with the support of an international organization named Justice and Care.

Activity 5: Upgrading the existing transit shelter home for men and boy victims

The existing transit shelter home of CWCS for women and girl victims  and the new home for men and boys were upgraded to provide shelter to 14 women, men, girls and boy victims at a time.  

Activity 6: Shelter supports to 200 victims

About 97 victims were provided shelter supports with accommodation, food, clothing, recreation favilities. They stayed from one day to 15 days on average depending on type of healthcare services, counselling, contacts with familiy members, legal procedures to be completed etc.

Activity 7:  Case management records of 200 victims

Case management records of 97 victims were maintained according to the format being provided in the government formulated Rules of The Prevention and Suppresion of Human Trafficking Act 2012 which included personal information, family background, education, vulnerability factors, mode of procurement, means of rescue and repritation, physical and mental health consequences and legal measures being taken. 

Activity 8: Psycho-social counseling to 200 victims

About 92 victims which included 48 women, 12 men, 26 girls and 6 boys were provided psycho-social counseling. However, 5 were very young child victims (ages 2-5 years) were not provided counseling as they will not be able to undertstand the issue.   

Activity 9: Counseling to parents:

Out of a total number of 37 child victims, counseling were provided to 29 parents of child victims (parents of 21 girls and 8 boys) so that parents or guardians can help the child victims to recover from the trauma. Parents were not found of 5 victims (4 girls and 1 boy). Moreover, one boy and two girls are still in the shelter home.

Activity 10: Healthcare services for 200 victims

About 97 victims (women 48, 12 men, 27 girls and 10 boys) were provided healthcare services from the government hospital at Satkhira. About 68 victims had to undergo medical tests while 29 victims were examined by the doctor but they did not need any medical tests. However, medicines were precribed by the doctor and accordingly medicines were provided to all the 97 victims. Depending on the severeity of individual health condition, some of the victims were under medical treatment even for more than a month. Therefore, some victims were provided medicines for longer period prescribed by the doctor of the Satkhira District Sadar Hospital. 

Activity 11: Family integration of 160 women and child victims

About 75 (45 women, 21 girls and 9 boy) victims were handed over to their parents. However, some women and child victims were tranferred to other shelter homes as their parents were reluctant to receive them and for some, their address were not found. In this regard, one woman and one girl victim were sent to goverment shelter home at Bagerhat according to court directive and 3 girl victims were sent to Dhaka Ahansia Mission shelter home in Jashore. Moreover, 5 victims (2 women, 2 girls and one boy) are still staying at the transit shelter home waiting for their reintegration.  

Activity 12: Legal assistance to 100 victims

About 61 victims agreed to report to the police, were assisted to lodge cases and referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to avail services from the Government Legal Aid Program. Victims have received local travel expenses to go to police stations, office of the Public Prosecutor and court. Among them, 6 victims (2 women and 4 girls) lodged FIR against their perpetrators. The  remaining 55 victims (33 women, 16 girls and 6 boys) registered General Diaries (GDs) with various police stations of Satkhira. 

Activity 13: Eligibility Assessment for 200 victims

Eligibility Assessment was conducted of 92 victims (48 women, 26 girls, 12 men and 6 boys) rescued and repatriated to determine their skills and nature of preferred employment. Finally 6 women victims were selected for job placement at garment factory in Dhaka, 10 girls for duck rearing training and recieved ducks while 6 men were provided various employment in Satkhira.

Activity 14: Providing 20 ducks to each after training on duck rearing to 20 girls

Ten girl victims were provided 3 days training from 16 -18 May 2019 on duck rearing and each of them were provided 20 ducks along with the required fodder and veterinary medicines.

Activity 15: Three months skills training to 10 boy victims on livestock, agriculture and fisheries and loan money will be provided from the Department of Youth Development

Parents of boy victims were more interested to take back their boys home and were reluctant to send them boys for skill training. It was observed that distance of their homes from the training centre of Department of Youth Development was one of the factors for their reluctance. Moreover, they had to bear the expenses of admission fee, monthly fee, food and lodging which were not affordable.    

Activity 16: Job placement of 20 women victims in garment industry in Dhaka

About 6 women victims were provided job placement in a garment industry at Dhaka. They were provided bed, beddings, mosquito-net, clothing. They were also provided food allowance and accommodation cost for the first month.

Activity 17: Job placement of 20 men victims

About 6 men were provided jobs to one as electrians, 2 men as wall colour painter and 2 men placed in fish farming at Satkhira.

Project Name : Multi-sectoral referral system for victims of trafficking, sexual exploitation and those in vulnerable situation

Doner : Centre for Women and Children Studies (CWCS)

Sector : Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

Area : Satkhira district, Bangladesh

Time Line : January 2014 to till date

Brief of activities :

The multi-sectoral referral system was started since January 2014 till to date with CWCS’s own contribution with the aim to address the issue of trafficking in a holistic way by providing healthcare, counselling, shelter, food, access to justice, integration with family members, identifying victims/survivors for life skill training.

Activities undertaken till 2017 are: 875 victims were provided healthcare and counselling services at Information Health Booth (IHB) being referred by law enforcing agencies, Community Watch Committee Members, NGOs, and community people; 319 victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation were provided temporary shelter on an average of 2-7 days, reunion with family members and being escorted to their homes by booth managers.

In addition, 313 victims/survivors were provided counselling at CWCS’s Counselling Centre at the government Satkhira Sadar hospital. Through the multi-sectoral referral system developed at Satkhira district victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation are being provided healthcare services at the government hospitals, access to police stations, victims being referred by various stakeholders and community people for healthcare services and shelter.