Over 50 Police Officers in Bangladesh Trained on Anti-Human Trafficking and Victim Care and Management
Human Trafficking
IJM staff trained the officers on identifying human trafficking crimes, anti-human trafficking laws, international principles of victim support and management, and trauma-informed interviewing. IJM also led a ‘Training of Trainers’ session to build a pool of expert trainers within Bangladesh who can lead similar workshops in the future.
Partners in Justice
This is the second time since November 2023 that IJM and ICITAP (the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, of the United States Department of Justice) have collaborated to train law enforcement officers. This training series represents a strong start to IJM’s work in Bangladesh by establishing strong relationships with senior government authorities and building IJM’s credibility and identity as anti-human trafficking experts—laying the foundation for our new program in Bangladesh. IJM’s team in Bangladesh believe this will set in motion more positive collaborations to help the justice system protect vulnerable people.
Senior authorities expressed confidence in this collaboration and believe that these trainings will directly benefit victims of human trafficking in Bangladesh. The Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Justice said, “The Prime Minister has taken a very strong step to combat human trafficking in Bangladesh. Therefore, following her advice, all the relevant agencies, ICITAP and IJM should work together to bring a systematic change to ensure justice for the victims.”
The 10-day training concluded with a formal closing ceremony which was attended by high-ranking authorities from the Bangladesh Police, the American Embassy, the Anti-Human Trafficking Tribunal in Dhaka, the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Law and Justice.
After the sessions, one police officer expressed, “I now will apply what I learnt from the training, at work and pass it on to my colleagues for a positive ripple effect in improving our interview techniques and support towards victims.”
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ICITAP is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division and is funded primarily by the State Department. ICITAP provides international development assistance that supports both national security and foreign policy objectives. Its mission is to work with foreign governments to develop professional and transparent law enforcement institutions that protect human rights, combat corruption, and reduce the threat of transnational crime and terrorism.