Cyber slavery is an emerging form of human trafficking in which traffickers exploit people’s job insecurity by luring them with fraudulent offers. Victims are then held captive in a foreign country, coerced into committing various forms of cybercrime, and tortured if they refuse to participate. It is deeply concerning to see hundreds of Bangladeshis fall prey to such scams, where they were reportedly trafficked into Cambodia’s scam compounds. Accounts from returnees reveal a pattern of how these trafficking groups operate. Even information on the current location of these highly guarded and secluded scam centres, where digital fraud is being carried out, is available. This raises the question as to why the government has not been more vigilant in preventing these fraudulent recruitments and protecting its citizens.
Migration has had a history of turning into a deadly illusion for many in this country. For decades, many young Bangladeshis, driven by poverty, unemployment and the dream for a better future, handed over their fate to unscrupulous recruiters. Between January and October in 2025, as many as 18,034 Bangladeshis were identified while entering Italy by sea without proper documents. Many of these Europe-bound migrants find themselves detained and tortured by traffickers, often stationed in West African countries, while others never make it home. As reported in May this year, at least 23 men have been missing for two years since they travelled to Libya through human trafficking networks. There are also instances where young men were tricked into travelling to war zones, where they were forcibly deployed into active combat.
While illegal migration was once believed to affect mostly low-skilled workers, recent trends show that even educated individuals fall victim to these schemes, highlighting just how sophisticated trafficking networks have become. Reports have linked employees of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh to transnational trafficking syndicates, while more than 90 percent of human trafficking cases reportedly end in acquittal. Such poor conviction rates only reinforce a culture of impunity, allowing traffickers to expand their operations.
We understand that individuals must exercise caution when it comes to migration, but the state bears the primary responsibility for protecting its citizens from organised trafficking networks. We urge the government to crack down on trafficking syndicates and their local collaborators, strengthen prosecution to end impunity, raise public awareness about cyber slavery, and expand safe employment opportunities so that fewer young people are driven into the hands of traffickers.
