The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Lalmonirhat

Participants at a daylong meeting held at Diabetic Samity Office premises here on Saturday underscored the need for joint efforts of all to resist human trafficking through the frontier areas.

They also stressed the need for a massive awareness building campaign, particularly among the vulnerable groups in the frontier areas, for proper enforcement of all relevant laws involving common people to stop this crime. Lalmonirhat district unit of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) organised the meeting with its district unit Secretary Moynul Islam in the chair. Assistant Professor of Rajshahi University Abdul Alim as the chief guest attended the meeting titled 'Prevention of Women and Children Trafficking and Roles and Responsibilities of Community Groups in Sustainable Rehabilitation of the Victims'. Senior Investigation Officer of BNWLA Advocate SBB Salah Uddin, General Secretary of district unit of Awami League Advocate Motiar Rahman, Advocate Moyezul Islam, journalist Shafikul Islam Kanu and Abdur Rahman Shujan, female counselor of Lalmonirhat municipality Suzata begum, addressed. Over 150 people including women living in the border areas, UP chairmen and members, teachers, professionals, adolescents, students, women community leaders, socio-cultural and NGO activists and elite took part in the meeting. The speakers blamed lack of proper awareness, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, dowry, child marriage, ignorance, drug- addiction and cross-border trade as the main reasons behind the heinous crimes of human trafficking.

They suggested different ways for resolving these reasons and recommended bringing the educational institutions of the frontier areas under the campaign to make the students aware about human trafficking with a view to stop the same once for all for.