Law Minister Asaduzzaman said legal and institutional measures need to be strengthened further to combat human trafficking, forced labour and migrant smuggling.

He made the remarks as a panellist at a high-level thematic meeting titled “From Source to Shelf: Combating Human Trafficking in Global Supply Chain”, held in Abu Dhabi on Monday local time under the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

The law minister outlined various initiatives to strengthen Bangladesh’s legal and institutional measures to combat human trafficking, forced labour and migrant smuggling. He stressed the enactment of the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Prevention and Suppression Act 2026, strengthening the National Referral Mechanism, developing a digital platform for managing data on human trafficking, and enhancing protection mechanisms for migrant workers and victims of human trafficking.

The law minister also highlighted the importance of effective implementation, inter-agency coordination and international cooperation. He said Bangladesh is working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other partners to enhance the capacity of the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, and migration and border management authorities.

He reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting human dignity, adding that Bangladesh is committed to ensuring that economic integration and global labour mobility are conducted with full respect for workers and human rights, while providing effective protection against exploitation.