JULY 2 -- Officials from the United States and Bangladesh governments, NGO representatives, labor associations and other civil society institutions attended the National Conference on Bangladesh’s 2012 Trafficking in Persons Law and National Plan of Action to Combat Human Trafficking 2012-2014 today. The conference was organized to accelerate the fight against human trafficking in Bangladesh and to commit to specific actions to improve the implementation of Bangladesh’s anti-trafficking legal framework. Ring the conference; U.S. Ambassador Mozena reiterated the U.S. Government’s commitment to help Bangladeshi institutions to fully implement the 2012 anti-trafficking law. Ambassador Mozena recommended that Bangladesh should finalize, adopt, and disseminate the implementing rules for the 2012 Human Trafficking Deterrence and Suppression Act (HTDSA) and train government officials on its implementation. He also encouraged the government to increase efforts to prosecute trafficking cases and convict trafficking offenders.

Since 2008, the United States, through USAID’s Actions for Combating Trafficking in Persons program has supported the governmental and civil society efforts to prevent human trafficking, protect trafficked victims and prosecute perpetrators. U.S. support has contributed to advocacy efforts to expand government oversight, increase the capture and prosecution of traffickers, and improve the monitoring of labor recruitment agencies.

The U.S. Government, through USAID, has provided over $6 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh since 1971. In 2012 alone, USAID provided more than $200 million to improve the lives of people in Bangladesh. USAID supports programs in Bangladesh that: promote democratic institutions and practices, expand food security and economic opportunity, improve health and education services, and increase resiliency to climate change through adaptation and low carbon development.

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