UNICEF and partners launch report on fight against human trafficking in Bangladesh

Leading child protection advocates, government officials and civil society representatives convened today for the "Launch Event: From Evidence to Action - Stop Trafficking", where a new, comprehensive report was officially unveiled.

The event, held at the La Vita Banquet Hall, Lakeshore Hotel, marked a significant step in bolstering national efforts to combat the trafficking of women and children.

The centrepiece of the event was the joint unveiling of the Stop Trafficking Report 2025. Titled "Prevalence and Prevention of Trafficking of Women and Children in Bangladesh: Twenty-five Years after the Palermo Protocol 2025," the study was produced with the financial support of the government of Sweden and UNICEF Bangladesh. The report provides critical evidence and analysis to inform policy and coordinated action for the protection of vulnerable groups.

The event featured a moderated discussion led by Natalie McCauley, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF, following her Welcome Remarks. Distinguished panelists who participated included Fahima Kader, Additional Superintendent of Police, Police Headquarters; Mohd. Sadiqul Haque, National Project Director (NPD), CSPB Project, Department of Social Services (DSS); Advocate Salma Ali, Eminent Lawyer and Human Rights Activist; and Dr. Sanzida Akhter, Professor, Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka.

The discussion was grounded by case presentations, including a poignant account of two siblings, Rafiq and Sumi, surviving on the streets of Khulna and exposed to trafficking risks. Two child participants, Md. Sizan and Sumaiya Akhter from the Child Protection Committee (CPCH), provided powerful context during the session.

The panel addressed critical questions concerning the need for systemic and coordinated actions by MOWCA to prevent trafficking, additional initiatives by DSS to protect street-connected children, and the most urgently needed evidence-based policy actions in Bangladesh.

The event concluded with Closing Remarks delivered by Fahima Kader, Additional Superintendent of Police, Police Headquarters. The key message reinforced the necessity for inter-ministerial collaboration and community-level engagement to implement the report's findings effectively and create comprehensive solutions to protect children and women from violence and trafficking risks.

Based on the comprehensive report, Stopping the Traffic: Prevalence and Prevention of Trafficking of Women and Children in Bangladesh (2025), the key recommendations for national action are centered on strengthening the universal child protection system, social service delivery, justice, and prevention at scale.

The main recommendations from the report were:

• Scale a Universal Child Protection System: Implement a national case management system, establish prevention platforms like Child Protection Community Hubs (CPCH), and ensure integrated referral pathways and functioning Child Welfare Boards, Protection Committees, and Counter Trafficking Committees (CTCs) across all districts. Birth registration should be linked with access to health, education, and social protection services.
• Grow the Social Service Workforce: Expand the social service workforce and deploy mobile or community teams to effectively reach street-connected, remote, and climate-affected children.
• Integrate Child Protection into Climate Action: Incorporate child protection measures into Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and climate adaptation strategies, including early warning systems, shock-responsive social protection, and urban slum service packages.
• Strengthen Justice and Accountability: Provide resources for the Anti Trafficking Tribunals, train law enforcement and the judiciary in child-sensitive procedures, and fully implement the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and survivor compensation schemes.
• Prevention at Scale: Promote norms change, provide education on safe migration and digital safety for adolescents, regulate community recruiters and intermediaries, and expand reporting hotlines.