Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – USAID Bangladesh Acting Mission Director Dennis Sharma and Joint Secretary of Home Affairs Kamal Uddin Ahmed on Monday inaugurated a day-long seminar to discuss a “Comprehensive Law Against Trafficking-in-Persons.”
Senior officials from the government, media, development partners and civil society participated in the seminar held at the Hotel Lake Castle. It was developed and presented as part of the USAID-funded Actions for Combating Trafficking-in-Persons (ACT) program, a US embassy press statement said in Dhaka on Monday.
“In preparation for this event, program organizers held a number of local level meetings in six districts and seven upazilas (sub-districts), allowing public prosecutors, local government officials, law enforcement officers, NGO activists and lawyers to share their comments, suggestions and recommendations about the proposed legislation,” the statement added.
The national-level seminar on Monday offered ACT an opportunity to present the findings and recommendations from the field and give policy-makers further information to aid in the formulation of the proposed comprehensive anti-trafficking law.
The U.S. government, through USAID, Bangladesh, currently funds the four-year US$3.5 million ACT program to connect local and national government representatives, NGOs, citizens and community leaders to prevent human trafficking, protect survivors, and prosecute crimes of perpetrators.
Since its inception, the ACT program has provided safe shelter, healthcare, counseling, and income opportunities to over 425 survivors of trafficking, helping them safely reintegrate into communities, according to the statement.
BBN/SSR/SI/AD-02Aug10-11:06 pm (BST)
