Experts at BRAC event flag gaps in Rohingya camp trafficking response, call for joint action
According to the 2025 Anti-Trafficking Working Group (ATWG) report presented at the event, 33% of trafficking victims are women and girls, while 25% are under 18
Human trafficking in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar remains a persistent and complex challenge despite ongoing multi-agency efforts, experts said at a BRAC-organised workshop, urging stronger coordination among law enforcement, judiciary and humanitarian actors.
The observations were made at a consultation titled "Consultation, Learning and Reflection Workshop on Human Trafficking and Major Protection Issues," organised by BRAC's Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) at a hotel in Cox's Bazar, with participation from government officials, UN agencies and NGOs.
Speakers said trafficking survivors in the camps continue to face significant barriers in accessing justice, citing weak evidence collection and management, the high vulnerability of displaced Rohingya populations, heavy workloads on police, frequent transfers of law enforcement personnel, difficulties in registering cases, and the informal settlement of serious crimes.
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Rezaul Karim, associate director and OIC of HCMP, delivered the welcome remarks, while the workshop aimed to strengthen coordination among the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and camp authorities, and develop actionable recommendations.
According to the 2025 Anti-Trafficking Working Group (ATWG) report presented at the event, 33% of trafficking victims are women and girls, while 25% are under 18. The report also showed a 28.8% rise in victims in 2025 compared to the previous year.
BRAC said its HCMP Protection Sector has provided legal assistance to 784 trafficking survivors in host communities and Rohingya camps between 2017 and March 2026.
Under its Humanitarian Development Coexistence (HDC) initiative, 400 Rohingya teachers, volunteers and community leaders have also received training through 18 skill development sessions aimed at prevention.
Presentations at the workshop included Md Tanvir Islam of BRAC HCMP on the trafficking context and legal frameworks, and Fakhrul Hasan, Assistant Superintendent of Police (APBn, Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals), who highlighted operational challenges faced by law enforcement.
Camp-in-Charge Tapti Chakma (Camp 17), along with representatives from IOM and UNHCR, also attended. Senior District Judge Mohammed Saifur Rahman Siddique of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 and BRAC adviser Subrata Kumar Chakrabarty spoke on legal frameworks and judicial processes related to trafficking.
More than 60 participants from international organisations and NGOs attended the workshop, which was moderated by BRAC HCMP officials Mohaiminul Islam and Naziyat Islam.
