Human trafficking cases to be tried in special tribunals

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday said at least one special tribunal will be set up in every division of the country to quickly dispose of the cases related to human trafficking.

Speeding up the trial of human trafficking will reduce this tendency, he told the news agency.

As per the section 21 (1) of the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012, the government may establish an Anti-human Trafficking Offence Tribunal consisting of a judge of the rank of a sessions judge or additional sessions judge in any district.

The minister said, "Hope, we'll be able to form the tribunal very soon; before the establishment of the special tribunal, human trafficking-related cases would be settled in Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal."

He said human trafficking-related 757 cases have been filed so far and charge sheets in 200 of the cases submitted and judgment in 12 pronounced.

The government move came amid the growing human trafficking as hundreds of Rohingyas and some Bangladeshis have landed in overcrowded boats on the shores of various Southeast Asian countries on their sea voyage to Malaysia as human smugglers abandoned their boats because of crackdowns by authorities.b