Home Minister Reaffirms Zero Tolerance for Human Trafficking and Online Scams

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad on Thursday said the government is placing the highest priority on protecting citizens from human trafficking and technology-driven crimes, reaffirming its "zero tolerance" policy against international trafficking syndicates and online scam networks.

He made the remarks while addressing a high-level national dialogue titled "Trapped Behind the Scam: Ending Human Trafficking for Forced Criminality" held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2026.

The minister said human trafficking has become increasingly sophisticated, with criminal networks using digital platforms, fake recruitment websites and social media to lure young people and job seekers with false promises of overseas employment. Many victims are later trapped in cyber scam centres abroad, where they face abuse, intimidation and are forced into criminal activities.

Salahuddin Ahmad said traffickers are increasingly exploiting modern technology, making it essential to combat the crime through coordinated efforts involving law enforcement agencies, technology companies, financial institutions, the private sector and civil society.

Highlighting the government's initiatives, he said Bangladesh has enacted the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling (Prevention and Suppression) Act, 2026, bringing online scams, technology-enabled recruitment fraud and forced criminality under stricter legal provisions in line with the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).

He said the government is also updating the Human Trafficking Prevention and Suppression Rules, 2017, while finalising the National Action Plan (2026–2030), which focuses on four key pillars—prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.

Emphasising victim protection and rehabilitation, the minister said strengthening the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) remains a priority to ensure swift rescue and provide legal, medical, psychological and rehabilitation support to trafficking survivors. He added that a Digital Anti-Trafficking Information Management Platform is being developed to improve case tracking and support evidence-based policymaking.

Calling on the media and civil society, Salahuddin Ahmad urged greater public awareness to counter fraudulent recruitment syndicates and promote safe migration, particularly for young people, women and aspiring migrant workers.

The dialogue was chaired by Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manzur Morshed Chowdhury. Special guests included Law and Justice Division Secretary Md Liaquet Ali Molla, Inspector General of Police Md Ali Hossain Fakir, European Union Chargé d'Affaires to Bangladesh Baiba Zarina and IOM Bangladesh Chief of Mission Dr Laura Tomm-Bonde.

Senior officials from the Bangladesh Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh, law enforcement agencies, diplomatic missions, development partners and the media also attended the event.

The programme featured a panel discussion on trafficking for forced criminality, deceptive recruitment and online exploitation, bringing together representatives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Italian State Police, BRAC's Migration Programme and a trafficking survivor rescued from a scam centre in Cambodia.

The national dialogue was jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Counter-Trafficking Technical Working Group of the UN Network on Migration.