Movement Against Flesh Trade

Extracts from Reports by Bangladesh National Women Lawyer Association

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 For the past decade the trade of Bangladeshi women has been thriving in different areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The Rajput colony of Karachi is noted as the biggest bazar, not for normal commodity, but for human trade.

 There are several pimps who specially deal with Bangladeshi women. They have dealers and network all over Bangladesh. These girls are rarely more than twenty years old. Price tags vary according to education, age, beauty and even family background. It varies from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 100,000. High government functionaries from the Gulf region regularly visit Karachi just to purchase girls.

The trade concern is run by some influential pimps who are assisted by men known as dealers. The dealers bring women to Pakistan claiming that the women are their sisters/wives.

 The dealers usually follow the railway route. They start from Bangladesh via Meenapur to reach Calcutta. From there they travel to Delhi and then to Amritsar and later on to Pakistan, walking for three days and nights.

 The internal paper works are done by the counterparts of the dealers in Pakistan. These women become Pakistani nationals overnight as soon as they cross the border....The trafficking network is so institutionalised that police find it difficult to find, arrest or charge them for forged documents.

 The traffickers are often set free, even after committing a major crime, in the absence of witnesses. Poor people cannot afford to appoint a lawyer or even to a police station. They would not even know where to get justice.

 The traffickers are nationally and internationally organised groups. There is an unwritten relationship among the traffickers and law enforcing agencies. The network is made possible with the collaboration of the local police and the marriage registrars. The fake marriages arranged by the registrars allow the so-called 'husbands' to smuggle their wives for money.

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Public Awareness Can Prevent Trafficking

Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) has been organising awareness meetings in various parts of Bangladesh as a part of the awareness campaign. Awareness campaign against trafficking was conducted in addition to professional and vocational training. The emphasis was on disseminating information to the villagers. The lawyers of BNWLA provided training to 75 field workers of local organisations.

As a follow up to the training given by BNWLA, participant Rehana Begum held a meeting with the local women of Shashwan crowded community in the western corner of Lamonirhat Town. The director of Own Village Development (OVA) Dilip Kumar Sharker had informed BNWLA that Shashwan had many landless families taking shelter. The women who attended the meeting informed Rehana that a Nurul Islam of the community received visitors of suspicious nature. This information was passed on to the director of OVA. He in turn informed the police and then went to the spot with two of his men. They found 5 young women, 2 older women and 7 men in the shelter. All five rescued girls were from Bahra Village, Dinajpur District. The women were Parvin (12), Selina (16), Beauty (15), Bilkis Akhter Banu (12) and Samsun Nahar (13). The girls were in tears and testified that Akemon Khatun (37) and Momena Khatun (32) from the same village had persuaded them to go to Dhaka for work.

Even though the local people had informed the police, the police did not come. The local union council chairman investigated the case. While being questioned the accused women privately tried to offer fifty thousand taka to Dilip Kumar for the release of the five girls and themselves. The community members of Sashwan took them to the police station.

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Oppression Against Women and Children Act (Special Provision) 1995

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Kohinoor - Story of an Ill - Starred Girl

Kohinoor lived with her parents in Barola Village of Gopalganj Thana. One day, when Kohinoor was eight years old, she was scolded and beaten by her mother. Upset, Kohinoor ran away from home and took refuge in a neighbour's house. A woman trafficker took advantage of the situation and sent her to India. At first Kohinoor stayed in a house in Dankuni Para in Calcutta. She worked there for eleven days as a baby sitter. Kohinoor could not bear the abusive treatment of the mistress of the house so she ran away. She roamed the streets of Calcutta for a while. A man sympathised with her situation and took her to the local police station. Kohinoor was then taken to Lilua Home , a home for distressed people.

When BNWLA members visited Lilua Home, she had been there for eight years. Along with Kohinoor, BNWLA visiting members also met several other Bangladeshi women brought to India by women traffickers. Returning from Lilua Home, BNWLA informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Home Ministry about the situation and requested that steps be taken to bring back Kohinoor and the other women. BNWLA also made an appeal that proper rehabilitation methods be carried out. After a long period, the Bangladesh Government brought back Kohinoor and five other girls.

When Kohinoor returned to her country, she was 16 years old. First she was kept for a few months in Mirpur Vagabond Kendra, run by the Ministry of Social Welfare. Then she was transferred to BNWLA's shelter home for three months. Finally her father came to take her home.

The only interest shown by community members came from those interested in offering marriage in exchange for dowry*. Kohinoor's father could not afford to give a dowry. In addition, the local gangsters began bothering the young girl. Kohinoor was compelled to return to Dhaka after eight months. When she finally turned up at the BNWLA it was found that she was also pregnant. She miscarried during her stay at BNWLA shelter home.

BNWLA helped Kohinoor to be placed at a garments factory. Kohinoor stayed at the shelter home for eight months then she moved out to Tejgaon crowded community where she lives with her colleague, Taslima. She keeps in regular touch with BNWLA.

Recommendations

BNWLA organised a meeting in which the participants consisted of local people, teachers, NGO workers, transportation workers and cultural workers. One of the outcomes of the meeting was the following list of recommendations for effective prevention of trafficking:

1. National and international level network system must be established for comprehensive rescue and rehabilitation of distressed women.
2. NGO workers, journalist, social workers are to be included in the network.
3. Those who are to be made aware are: children, guardians, field workers, journalists, transportation workers, factory workers, police, BDR, customs, marriage registrars, chairman and members, students and teachers and social workers.
5. Coordination among activists is a must.
6. Training and discussion meetings must be held for NGOs and GOs.
7. Trafficking and its effect must be included in the general programmes such as health and family planning.
8. A central secretariat must be established to monitor, follow up and carry out media advocacy activities.
9. The police station, journalists, socio economic development agencies must be made aware of any incidences of trafficking
10. UN Convention on Child Right (1989) and Convention Against Trafficking and Prostitution (1949) must be implemented.
11. Garment factory workers must be made aware of the labour law and trafficking.
12. Rural-based income generating programme must be implemented.
13. Illegal marriages, child marriage and polygamy must be stopped.

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