Cabinet nod for Indo-Bangla pact on human trafficking

MoU to help ensure speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka, the Union Cabinet today approved signing of a pact between the two countries to prevent human trafficking.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Modi, has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on prevention of human trafficking, especially trafficking in women and children.

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 organised 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.

During the fourth meeting of the task force held in Mumbai on April 6 and 7 last year, both sides finalised the text of the draft MOU on prevention of human trafficking, the statement pointed out.

Modi is visiting Dhaka on June 6 and 7.