“Be it a child of the Rohingya refugee or a child of the host community, it does not matter to us. Our duty is to protect all the children in our locality from traffickers.” said Mr. M Gafuruddin Chowdhury, President of the Union Counter Trafficking Committee (CTC), and Chairman of Palongkhali Union Parishad, Ukhiya Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh while he was speaking in the program of ‘World Day Against Human Trafficking-in-Persons – 2024’ organised by YPSA on 30th July.
This year YPSA in association of the local government and International Organization for Migration (IOM) chalked out a week long activities to celebrate the World Day Against Human Trafficking in Persons 2024 culminating with the day long celebration program in the premises of the Palong Khali Union Parishad, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar.The day was observed in line with this year’s theme – “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking” declare by UN.
As one of the panel discussants, Mr. Jishu Barua, Assistant Director and Counter Trafficking Focal of YPSA, said, “According to the UN report, one-third of trafficking victims across the globe are children. We do agree on the UN report as we – YPSA has been working in Bangladesh particularly in Cox’s Bazar since 2009, and in the Rohingya camps since June, 2018, we think that the scenario of child trafficking in some aspects in this part of the world is comparatively more terrifying as the real picture of trafficking is hardly possible to navigate.” He added that since children are vulnerable in any communities, they are one of the prime targets of the traffickers. Therefore, we should safeguard the children as they are the future of the country. If they are exploited physically and mentally, the country will not advance and development of the country will not take place.
In the program, Mr. Mofidul Alam, Panel Chairman, Palongkhali, Mr. Kamal Uddin, UP Member, Palongkhali, Mr. Faridul Alam, EX Headteacher, Talekhola Govt. Primary School and Mr. Sattar, Ansar VDP Commander, Palongkhali spoke as panel discussants as well.
Mr. Mofidul Alam, Panel Chairman, Palongkhali Union Parishad said that we should declare war against the traffickers who target and exploit our children. The enforcement agencies should take initiatives to arrest the perpetrators for the crimes and ensure punishment of the traffickers to protect the common people particularly children.
In order to celebrate the day, people of all walks of life thronged defying the heavy shower in the premises of the Palong Khali Union Parishad, Ukhiya Cox’s Bazar. A total of 175 people including 62 women, 13 girls, 75 men and 25 boys attended the program. The program was anchored by Mr. Suvra Adhikari, Project Officer and Ms. Shanuching Marma, Project Officer of YPSA while Mr. Tanim Rahman Mitu, Project Officer was in charge of organizing the program.
At the end of the program, a rally was brought out to raise public awareness on anti-human trafficking to mark the day.
Notably, YPSA in association with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been implementing a project titled, “Prevention and Response Activities Implementation on Counter Trafficking ” since June, 2018. Under the project, YPSA creates community sensitization on counter trafficking issues, capacity building of the duty bearers to prevent human trafficking and provide reintegration assistance to the victims of trafficking (VoT) in the Rohingya camps and host community in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh after the Rohingya influx in August, 2017.
