Cabinet okays MoU with India to check human trafficking

The approval was given at the regular meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, cabinet secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the instrument is likely to be signed during ensuing visit of Indian home secretary to Bangladesh. The MoU titled "Memorandum of Understanding between Bangladesh and India on bilateral cooperation for prevention of human trafficking, specially trafficking women and children, rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration victims of trafficking" would help address the human trafficking issue with India.

The cabinet secretary said both the countries are currently working on the issue under a 'standard operation procedure (SOP)'. A joint taskforce working on human trafficking problems between Bangladesh and India has prepared the MoU, already approved by the Indian government.

Under the MoU, the cabinet secretary said all people under 18 years be considered as children, action would be taken against the human traffickers as per law of the respective countries and focal points of the countries would take necessary action in this respect.

The cabinet in its today's meeting has also given final approval to the draft of 'Railway Security Force Act 2014' subject to vetting of the law ministry. The new law will replace the Railways Security Force Ordinance 1976, which became defunct with the annulment of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution by the Supreme Court in 2010.

Musharraf Hossain said the 'Railway Security Force Act 2014' would be a useful and effective law for protecting the properties of Bangladesh Railway and better coordination between the duties of the Railways Security Force and Government Railway Police (GRP).

The cabinet has approved in principle the draft of the "Railway Properties (unlawful possession) Act, 2014 with some observations, the cabinet secretary said.

-BSS
Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol