Tripoli envoy to Dhaka on Monday claimed that no Bangladeshi citizen is being sold or involved in slavery in the territory of Libya.

‘I can confirm you that no Bangladeshi national is involved or victim of the allegation (slavery),’ Charge D’ Affairs of Libyan Embassy to Bangladesh Mahmoud M EL Sallabi told journalists at a press briefing over a media report which claimed that human traffickers were involved in slavery in the territory of Libya, reports the BSS.

The Libyan envoy said he called the press briefing to condemn the international media report against Libya of ‘unproven and irresponsible’ allegations over human trafficking as well as serfdom.

‘On behalf of the Libyan government I firmly claim that the media report on human trafficking from Libya to Europe is baseless,’ Sallabi said.

He said Libya renews its condemnation to any kind of human trafficking and human smuggling and denounces such acts and practices at all levels.

The envoy said the information whatever presented by the news report about selling and purchasing of human beings of Africa origin is inaccurate.

‘But it fact, it is a bargaining to smuggle them to their final destination (Europe) as migrants, not slaves and the bargaining was for cost of their transportation, not for the purpose of slavery,’ he said.

He said the Libyan government and people reject it categorically, and believe that the dealing with the migrants should be in a way that preserves their human dignity, he said.

‘It’s not only problem of Libya, human trafficking is a crisis for entire world. But, in the way some international media is undermining Libya government and its people on human trafficking issue, we condemn it,’ he said.

The Charge D’ Affairs said the Libyan authorities immediately assigned the competent authorities to start a comprehensive investigation into these malefactor allegations according to the Libyan laws, and reveal its reality to the local and international public opinion.

Such practice and violations, if any, is one of the consequences of the illegal migration, for which Libya is most affected than the others countries of the world, he added.

The envoy said his country affirms that the phenomenon of illegal migration and its consequences requires earnest and coordinated international efforts to confront the same.