THE recent deaths at the Mediterranean Sea suggest that the government’s effort is not much effective in preventing human trafficking. At least 48 migrants, mostly believed to be Bangladeshis, set off from Tobruk, Libya on March 21 towards Greece in a small rubber boat after each family had reportedly paid around Tk 12 lakh to traffickers. In the next six days, the boat drifted away in the Mediterranean without food or water, leading to the deaths of 22 people. Survivors unofficially confirmed that all victims had died before rescue near Crete in Greece. Most of the victims have come from low-income families in Sunamganj. Bangladesh’s ambassador to Greece says that efforts are under way to secure consular access to support for survivors and confirm the identities of the deceased. The state minister for foreign affairs iterated the commitment of past governments that human trafficking must be stopped and those involved must face exemplary punishment under national and international laws. Strict actions against the human trafficking nexus in Sunamganj and elsewhere should follow the government’s words.
There are no updated data on the trafficking victims in Bangladesh, but there is no scope to see the recent deaths in isolation. The Monitoring Cell for Combating Trafficking in Humans suggests that 10,579 victims were rescued and 14,583 traffickers were arrested in 2009–2025, but most quickly secured bail while only 247 cases have resulted in conviction. The conviction rate in human trafficking cases is only around 1.5 per cent. Even when conviction occurs, the kingpins of trafficking rackets often remain beyond legal accountability. Bangladesh enacted the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012 to combat trafficking and protect victims, but it took the government nearly eight years to establish special tribunals to handle such cases. In July 2025, 4,291 human trafficking cases were pending with special tribunals. Experts blame the low conviction rate on the absence of proper evidence in the charge sheet, non-appearance of witnesses, out-of-court settlements, the accused reaching a compromise with victims and lack of expertise in dealing with the cases. The contradiction between the 2012 human trafficking act and the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013 also creates a barrier to justice.
The government should, under the circumstances, take urgent steps to expedite the legal process and exemplarily punish the people involved in human trafficking. It should give clear legal direction to expedite investigation aimed at ensuring conviction. It should, moreover, equip and empower consulates of Bangladesh in different countries for proper repatriation of those already trafficked. In addition, the trafficked victims who managed to return to Bangladesh should be properly rehabilitated and compensated with adequate social support.
