Union Cabinet okays Indo-Bangla pact on human trafficking
NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s June 6-7 visit to Dhaka, the Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the signing of a pact between the two countries to prevent human trafficking and work on ways to reintegrate the victims with their families.
The Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, has approved signing of an MoU on the prevention of human trafficking, especially trafficking in women and children, and the rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration of victims of human trafficking.
An official statement said the MoU will help strengthen cooperation to prevent all forms of the human trafficking, especially that of women and children and ensure the speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers and organized crime syndicates in both the neighbouring nations.
The pact will also ensure repatriation of victims as expeditiously as possible. After repatriation, the home country will undertake the safe and effective reintegration of the victims with their families.
“Human trafficking has emerged as a big problem. The MoU is an effort in the direction of preventing trafficking,” Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
A task force of India and Bangladesh was constituted to take coordinated action against individuals, touts and agents involved in human trafficking and meetings of the group. The task force has met four times so far.