YPSA organized a training program for the Tourist Police of the Cox’s Bazar region titled “Training on Victim-Centered Approach to the Identification and Protection of Victims of Trafficking (VoTs) and the Application of a Survivor-Centered Approach for Counter-Trafficking (CT) Survivors” in Cox’s Bazar on 14 December 2025.
The workshop sessions were facilitated by experts from YPSA, academia, and the Tourist Police. The facilitators included Mr. A. B. M. Abu Noman, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Chittagong; Mr. Jishu Barua, Assistant Director and Counter-Trafficking Focal Point of YPSA; and Mr. Md. Apple Mahmud, Additional Deputy Inspector General (Addl. DIG) of the Tourist Police, Cox’s Bazar Region.
The training was organized under the project titled “Prevention and Response Activities Implementation on Counter Trafficking Issues,” which is being implemented by YPSA in association with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Objectives of the Training:
- Enhance understanding of the Victim-Centered Approach (VCA): Strengthen participants’ knowledge of VCA principles and their relevance in identifying and protecting victims of trafficking (VoTs).
- Build capacity of Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) personnel as first responders: Equip LEA staff in Cox’s Bazar with the skills and sensitivity needed to effectively respond to VoTs using a survivor-centered approach.
- Improve identification of victims of trafficking: Train participants to recognize indicators of trafficking while considering victims’ vulnerabilities, safety, security, and individual needs.
- Promote rights-based protection measures: Ensure LEA personnel are able to apply protection methods that uphold the rights and dignity of VoTs in accordance with existing counter-trafficking (CT) laws
- Strengthen coordination and stakeholder engagement: Encourage collaborative practices among first responders and relevant stakeholders to provide comprehensive and compassionate support to survivors.
Notably, YPSA has been working on counter-trafficking issues in Bangladesh for over one and a half decades. Drawing on this long-standing experience, YPSA, in consultation with various stakeholders—including legal practitioners, law enforcement agencies, humanitarian organizations, the Anti-Trafficking Working Group, and other relevant entities—has developed a “Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for a Victim of Trafficking (VoT)-Centered Service Approach for Law Enforcement Agencies.”
Based on this SOP, YPSA has undertaken initiatives to provide technical assistance to different law enforcement agencies on adopting a VoT-centered service approach. As part of this initiative, YPSA organized training for the Tourist Police. Given that Cox’s Bazar is a high-risk (red zone) area for human trafficking, the Tourist Police play a crucial role in preventing and combating trafficking in the region. A total of 27 Tourist Police personnel participated in the training.
