DHAKA, November 2, 2019 —The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bangladesh’s Counter Trafficking in Persons (BC/TIP) program, partnered with the Forensic Training Institute (FTI) of the Bangladesh Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to sponsor a five-day anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) investigation skills training.  In collaboration with the FTI, the BC/TIP program developed a training curriculum on best practices for handling and investigating TIP cases and assisting trafficking victims in filing cases against perpetrators.  This training is the third anti-human trafficking investigation course held since August of this year.  Twenty-three police officers from 20 trafficking-prone districts actively participated in the classroom and scenario-based training held at the FTI in Dhaka and conducted by the BC/TIP program, which is funded by USAID and implemented by Winrock International, a U.S. non-governmental organization.

At the closing ceremony of the training, chief guest USAID Bangladesh Mission Director Derrick Brown reaffirmed the U.S. government’s ongoing commitment to work with the Government of Bangladesh to combat human trafficking, including providing training for improved investigations that lead to strong prosecutions and speedy convictions.  In his remarks, Mission Director Brown noted, “Putting more traffickers behind bars will give hope to vulnerable groups at risk of being trafficked and send a strong signal to would-be traffickers that they will be found and punished for their crimes.”

The United States is committed to working with Bangladesh to implement its National Plan of Action (NPA) to combat human trafficking.  As part of those efforts, BC/TIP has invested more than $8 million to support TIP shelter homes and judicial sector capacity building.

This year, the U.S. government designated Bangladesh a Tier 2 Watch List country for the third consecutive year.  Bangladesh continues to be a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.  Improving investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases will enhance Bangladesh’s efforts to confront this crime.

This jointly sponsored Anti-Trafficking Investigation Training, funded by USAID Bangladesh’s Counter Trafficking in Persons (BC/TIP) program, is one of many initiatives of the U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh to support the Government of Bangladesh’s efforts to combat trafficking in persons and build capacity to protect vulnerable populations.