BANGLADESH: Advocacy Meeting to Combat Trafficking Against Children (16 August 2005)

Summary: Nari Unnayan Shakti (NUS) a national NGO,
organised a "Divisional level Advocacy Meeting
to Combat Trafficking Against Children" at NUS
Training Center, Banashree, Rampura, Dhaka
on August 16 2005.

The Honorable Chief Guest of the event was Mr. Syed Shujauddin Ahmed,
Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Special Guests were Mr.
Khandoker Rashedul Haque, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Nurun
Nabi Khan, Programme Officer, ILO, Noor Mahmud, National Programme
Officer, UNFPA. The meeting was presided over by Afroja Parvin, Executive
Director, Nari Unnayan Shakti. 20 rescued survivors were present at the
meeting with the participants from different national international and UN
organisations.

Mr. Shujauddin Ahmed, "NUS's contribution combating trafficking is highly
appreciable. Rescuing children from traffickers claws are a risky job and
NUS is handling it with a courage. Addressing the rescued children from
trafficking he said, "You have suffered a lot and cross over various
problems and now at the safe home of NUS. Using this opportunity, you
develop your carrier for socially accepted profession to lead life with social
honour."

Present Government has taken special steps to address child and women
trafficking problem all over the country and NUS's programme is one of the
initiatives, said Afroja Parvin, Executive Director, Nari Unnayan Shakti. She
also applied to the relevant ministries to take more comprehensive
indicative involving NGO and GO departments.

Mr. Nurun Nabi Khan said, As ILO partner NUS activities are taken as a
model for reintegration. We have to mobilise donors to support NUS.

Saleha (not real name) described her case study at the beginning of the
meeting. She said, how she was trafficked and rescued by NUS. She was
sold by her mother for sex trade. She escaped from their house and came
to Khilgaon Police Station, which referred her to NUS.

Mr. Masud Hasan Siddique described the overall ILO Commitment on
trafficking. Dr. Noor Mohammad, UNFPA said, "It is time to coordinate our
effort to address the problem together. He said, UNFPA is concerned about
the issue because it is after all a reproductive health and AIDS issue."

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