Human trafficking: Police, admin face accusations

Country’s crime analysts have blamed the negligence of police and local administration for the rising migration attempts during the last decade, when the issue recently has created great concern in the South-East Asia and Mediterranean regions.
‘Some members of the law enforcers themselves have got involved with this (human smuggling),’ said Nur Khan, a crime analyst.
Even graver allegations that police, instead of taking actions, facilitate the illegal practice in exchange of taking money from the traffickers were also voiced by Nur.
He said the government needs to deal with the situation strongly since the police, who are meant to stop injustice, are being a part of it.
Furthermore, recent reports provided by intelligence agencies identified 24 Cox’s Bazar local police officials who had alleged links with human trafficking syndicates.
The shocking extent of police involvement in human trafficking was revealed when a listed trafficker was reportedly present in an anti-trafficking meeting held by Teknaf police.
Such allegations were so strong that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) were prompted to announce that if any police member was found involved in trafficking, stern actions will be taken against him.
‘We have a zero tolerance in this regard; we won’t keep such type of police members in our department,’ said IGP AKM Shahidul Haque.
Although human trafficking reached an alarming level from 2012, inaction was conspicuous among the authorities who have been shaken lately by the discovery of mass graves in Thailand’s forests.
According to the local people, it was in 2003 when human trafficking had been started in Shahpari Island’s Badarmokam area.
In those days people were trafficked to Thailand through sea routes on fishing boats.
Later on, the island’s Pashchimpara, Golachar, and Jetighat area were added to Badarmokam as trafficking points from where boats carrying people used to set off.
In 2009 Dalals (local agents) came to the scene and a year later trafficking started to become widespread in the area.
The intensity of the problem was revealed by the discovery of mass graves in Thailand and recovery of tens of hundreds of migrant Rohingyas and Bangladeshis floating on the sea.