Bangladesh remains on the U.S. State Department’s Tier 2 list for human trafficking, as political turmoil has undermined the country’s law enforcement response.
Civil unrest in August 2024 toppled the previous government and collapsed parts of the police force, hampering prosecutions. Authorities investigated 811 cases involving 3,334 suspects, down from 975 cases a year earlier. Prosecutions fell sharply to 452 suspects from 3,475, while convictions dropped to 103 traffickers compared with 407 the prior year. Courts, shuttered for more than three months during the turmoil, left more than 4,400 trafficking cases pending.
Although Bangladesh adopted victim referral guidelines and identified 1,462 victims, experts say weak collaboration between police and prosecutors and lenient sentencing eroded deterrence. Corruption and official complicity further stifled accountability.
The report warned that Rohingya refugees remain highly vulnerable to exploitation, with few clear avenues for legal redress. U.S. officials urged Dhaka to expand tribunals, increase training, and eliminate high recruitment fees fueling debt bondage.