Govt committed to protecting citizens’ rights: Asaduzzaman

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman today said the government is committed to protecting citizens' rights under any circumstances.

"Human trafficking is one of the most serious, inhumane and cruel acts. Through this process, fraudsters, criminals and mafias extort money. They make huge profits at the cost of people's lives in this country. The government is committed to changing this situation and protecting citizens' rights under any circumstances," he said.

Md Asaduzzaman made the remarks while addressing, as chief guest, a national consultation meeting on "Strengthening Criminal Justice Responses to Prevent Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants," jointly organised by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at a city hotel this morning.

Mentioning that several laws have been amended to prevent human trafficking, Md Asaduzzaman stated, "We have amended several laws. We have made the definition of human trafficking much more realistic, which can be applied to a broad range of human trafficking cases. We have incorporated such provisions under the Human Trafficking Act, 2026.

"We have amended the Public Gambling Act and brought online gambling, trafficking and such other illegal activities under our legal framework. Besides, we have introduced some other laws that can also cover aspects of human trafficking," he added.

The Law Minister said Bangladesh ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (the Palermo Protocol) in September 2019. "Since then, Bangladesh has been moving forward with the commitments it made to the international community," he said.

Pointing out some limitations in this regard, the minister said, "Our law enforcement agencies are quite vigilant. But they have limitations in terms of manpower, receiving adequate cooperation from complainants, obtaining appropriate evidence and other matters."

Mentioning that human trafficking is no longer as widespread as before, the Law Minister said, "It must be acknowledged that human trafficking is no longer as widespread as it was before. You have to remember that we have an unemployment crisis in our country. We cannot prevent people from going abroad in search of livelihoods."

Mentioning that many people travel abroad on tourist visas and subsequently become undocumented immigrants there, the Law Minister said, "In this situation, we are also seeking your support on how we can ensure the rights of people migrating abroad."

Chaired by Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Md Khadem Ul Kayes, the meeting was also addressed by Kristian Holge, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for South Asia, as a special guest.