Staff Reporter:
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed yesterday said the new Prevention and Suppression of Human Traf-ficking and Migrant Smuggling Act, 2026 would play a vital role in combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling facilitated through the misuse of digital platforms and technology.
Speaking as the chief guest at the National Dissemination Meeting on the new law at Hotel InterConti-nental Dhaka, he said Bangladesh had upgraded its legal and institutional framework to international standards to keep pace with the evolving tactics of transnational criminal groups.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling human trafficking and migrant smug-gling through a stronger legal framework, effective institutional coordination and a victim-centred crim-inal justice system.
The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Justice and Care Bangladesh.
Presided over by Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the event was attended by Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen, Inspector General of Bangladesh Po-lice Md. Ali Hossain Fakir, DG of Bangladesh Coast Guard Rear Admiral Md Ziaul Hoque, DG of BGB Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed as special guests.
The minister said the new law clearly distinguishes human trafficking from migrant smuggling, strength-ens investigation and prosecution, enhances protection for victims and witnesses, expands international cooperation in line with global standards and upholds the internationally recognized principle of non-punishment of victims.
Participants underscored the need for stronger inter-agency coordination and sustained national and in-ternational cooperation to ensure effective implementation of the law, dismantle organized criminal net-works and bring offenders to justice.
Justice and Care Bangladesh Country Director Mohammad Tarikul Islam presented the background, ra-tionale and key provisions of the legislation.
Senior representatives from Bangladesh Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Coast Guard, CID, Special Branch, NSI, the judiciary, prosecution, government agencies, diplomatic missions, UN agencies, international organisations, development partners and civil society also attended the event.
