Banshkhali pirates turn traffickers

Awareness campaign launched

Apart from cracking down on the human traffickers, the Chittagong district police have also undertaken a massive awareness generation programme to combat organised crime.
As part of raising awareness among the masses, police have been holding meetings, particularly in the coastal upazilas of Chittagong.
Human trafficking has turned into a pain in the neck for the law enforcers, since the organised crime has witnessed a spate in the district in recent times.
Of the 14 upazilas of Chittagong, the coastal zone of Banshkhali has emerged to be the most human trafficking-prone area due to a number of factors, including its geographical location. Taking advantage of the Kutubdia Channel, the human trafficker now use the coastal belt of Banshkhali-Cox’s Bazar as a safe route.

Police said that the pirates of Banshkhali upazila of Chittagong have now switched to human trafficking, as it involves lesser risk. They have changed their trade and chosen to be human traffickers in order to make quick bucks, cops added.
Recently, during special drives, the Banshkhali police arrested some top-most human traffickers from the area. During primary interrogation, Abdur Razzaque, a top-rated human trafficker, who was arrested on June 1 this year, confessed that he had been involved with piracy since long time.
Quoting another human trafficker, Swapan Majumder, Officer-in-Charge of Banshkhali police station, told The Independent that Razzaque used to shelter fortune-seekers in his residence and help them on board at convenient time. “Not only Abdur Razzaque, we could also arrest eight more top human traffickers in the last one month. All of the arrested traffickers confessed that they were involved in waterway robbery previously, but they took to human trafficking for avoiding the risk of being caught by the law enforcers and making quick money,” Majumder added.
During a recent visit to Banshkhali upazila, this correspondent talked to the local people and the fortune-seekers, who managed to return from Malaysia, and the relatives of trafficking victims.
“The human traffickers keep threatening us with dire consequences if we dare to provide any information to the law enforcers,” said Nurul Absar, a
resident of Chhanua Union under Banshkhali upazila.
“We are gravely concerned over the recent spate of human trafficking. A police post should be set up in my locality to check human trafficking,” said Rezaul Haque Chowdhury, Chairman of Chhanua Union Parishad.
While narrating his harrowing account of torture at the hands of human traffickers in Thailand and Malaysia, Shamshul Alam, a resident of Chhanua Union told this reporter that he used to deal in fish in Chittagong city where he came in touch with one Mahmud, who hailed from Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar.
“It was Mahmud who lured me with hefty money in Malaysia. I paid Tk 2 lakh for going there. After floating in the sea for 12 days, we could reach the deep forest of Thailand. On our way to Thailand, 18 fortune-seekers among us died of starvation and the bodies were thrown into the sea,” said Alam, who managed to return after spending 20 months in Malaysia.
“I spent 22 days in the deep forest of Thailand. We were served very poor diet there. I saw the women being sexually abused by the traffickers in the camp,” added Alam.
“I am now scared to even recall the nightmarish experience in Thailand and Malaysia. I request all my villagers not to be lured away by the human traffickers. This is a trap which is very dangerous and very few can return alive,” said Alam.
“My son and nephew who undertook the voyage have gone missing. I do not know if they are alive. We all are passing every moment in great anxiety,” said Md Ismail, a local of Chhanua Union.
Md Habibur Rahman, Chittagong Additional Superintendent of Police (South), told The Independent that human trafficking has now appeared to be a real problem.
“However, we want to make it very clear that we will not show any leniency in checking the organised crime. We have already beefed up our monitoring and reinforced our drive against human trafficking.”

Banshkhali pirates turn traffickers

Awareness campaign launched

Apart from cracking down on the human traffickers, the Chittagong district police have also undertaken a massive awareness generation programme to combat organised crime. As part of raising awareness among the masses, police have been holding meetings, particularly in the coastal upazilas of Chittagong. Human trafficking has turned into a pain in the neck for the law enforcers, since the organised crime has witnessed a spate in the district in recent times. Of the 14 upazilas of Chittagong, the coastal zone of Banshkhali has emerged to be the most human trafficking-prone area due to a number of factors, including its geographical location. Taking advantage of the Kutubdia Channel, the human trafficker now use the coastal belt of Banshkhali-Coxs Bazar as a safe route. Police said that the pirates of Banshkhali upazila of Chittagong have now switched to human trafficking, as it involves lesser risk. They have changed their trade and chosen to be human traffickers in order to make quick bucks, cops added. Recently, during special drives, the Banshkhali police arrested some top-most human traffickers from the area. During primary interrogation, Abdur Razzaque, a top-rated human trafficker, who was arrested on June 1 this year, confessed that he had been involved with piracy since long time. Quoting another human trafficker, Swapan Majumder, Officer-in-Charge of Banshkhali police station, told The Independent that Razzaque used to shelter fortune-seekers in his residence and help them on board at convenient time. Not only Abdur Razzaque, we could also arrest eight more top human traffickers in the last one month. All of the arrested traffickers confessed that they were involved in waterway robbery previously, but they took to human trafficking for avoiding the risk of being caught by the law enforcers and making quick money, Majumder added. During a recent visit to Banshkhali upazila, this correspondent talked to the local people and the fortune-seekers, who managed to return from Malaysia, and the relatives of trafficking victims. The human traffickers keep threatening us with dire consequences if we dare to provide any information to the law enforcers, said Nurul Absar, a resident of Chhanua Union under Banshkhali upazila. We are gravely concerned over the recent spate of human trafficking. A police post should be set up in my locality to check human trafficking, said Rezaul Haque Chowdhury, Chairman of Chhanua Union Parishad. While narrating his harrowing account of torture at the hands of human traffickers in Thailand and Malaysia, Shamshul Alam, a resident of Chhanua Union told this reporter that he used to deal in fish in Chittagong city where he came in touch with one Mahmud, who hailed from Teknaf upazila in Coxs Bazar. It was Mahmud who lured me with hefty money in Malaysia. I paid Tk 2 lakh for going there. After floating in the sea for 12 days, we could reach the deep forest of Thailand. On our way to Thailand, 18 fortune-seekers among us died of starvation and the bodies were thrown into the sea, said Alam, who managed to return after spending 20 months in Malaysia. I spent 22 days in the deep forest of Thailand. We were served very poor diet there. I saw the women being sexually abused by the traffickers in the camp, added Alam. I am now scared to even recall the nightmarish experience in Thailand and Malaysia. I request all my villagers not to be lured away by the human traffickers. This is a trap which is very dangerous and very few can return alive, said Alam. My son and nephew who undertook the voyage have gone missing. I do not know if they are alive. We all are passing every moment in great anxiety, said Md Ismail, a local of Chhanua Union. Md Habibur Rahman, Chittagong Additional Superintendent of Police (South), told The Independent that human trafficking has now appeared to be a real problem. However, we want to make it very clear that we will not show any leniency in checking the organised crime. We have already beefed up our monitoring and reinforced our drive against human trafficking.