Staff Reporter:
A 12-day training programme on Anti-Human Trafficking and Victim Support and Management for Bangladesh police officials concluded in Dhaka on Thursday (6 June).
The U.S. Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Programme (ICITAP), in partnership with the International Justice Mission (IJM), provided the training to nearly 50 police officials at the Edward M. Kennedy Center (EMK Center) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
U.S. Department of Justice Partners with the International Justice Mission through program to support Bangladesh Police partners in countering Human Trafficking. The training focuses on Anti-Human Trafficking and Victim Support & Management.
The concluding ceremony was attended by Golam Sarwar, Secretary of the Ministry of Law & Justice Division as Chief Guest; Md. Rafiqul Islam, Judge of the Anti-Human Trafficking Tribunal Dhaka as Special Guest. While Mohammad Ali Mia, Chief of CID was the keynote speaker. Pamella Masakhwi, Head of Global Aftercare at IJM, and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission of US Embassy Stephen Ibelli attended the programme.
This important training focused on providing first responders and police investigators with the essential skills and knowledge needed to appropriately investigate trafficking crimes, assist victims of human trafficking, identify human rights abuse, and track illegal money laundering practices.
It included international legal principles for victim support, appropriate victim/survivor interview techniques, and case study examples – supported by practical exercises – to round out the training programme.
The Bangladesh Police Force was represented, with participation from many different units in the training, including: Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Transnational Crime Division – Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTCU), Cyber Crime Division, Women Support and Investigation Division – Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Chattogram Metropolitan Police, Rangamati District Police and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport – Immigration (Operations) – Special Branch (SB).
This training event was the second time in the last six months ICITAP and IJM have partnered together to support the Bangladesh Police and the victims of human trafficking, with future efforts looking to focus on the development of police trainers to build the long-term capacity of the Bangladesh Police and maintain sustainability for future efforts.
This unique partnership allowed ICITAP – whose international mission is to develop professional and transparent law enforcement institutions that protect human rights, combat corruption, and reduce the threat of transnational crime and terrorism — to team up with IJM, a global organization that works to protect the poor from violence, rescue and rehabilitate victims of trafficking and ensure effective prosecution of offenders.
ICITAP’s current effort to combat human trafficking has been funded by the U.S. Department of State’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Bureau, IJM is a charitable organization supported through donations, the press release added.
