Ashshash holds consultation on trafficking survivors
Ashshash, an initiative supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh and implemented by Winrock International, hosted a high-level National Consultation with the Private Sector in Dhaka on Sunday (12 May), aiming to bolster Bangladesh's National Human Trafficking Prevention Fund.
The event brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Bangladesh Bank, and C-suite executives from the country's leading metropolitan chamber of commerce, multinational corporations, readymade garment conglomerates, financial institutions, and the telecommunications and health sectors.
The consultation aimed to institutionalise private sector support for human trafficking survivors.
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As Bangladesh continues to navigate the complexities of safe migration and human rights, the consultation served as a strategic platform to operationalise a unified financial vehicle that pools contributions from government allocations, donor support, and private-sector CSR entities.
The organisers said resources from the fund could be specifically ring-fenced for essential survivor support services, including victim compensation, vocational skills training, psychosocial care and job placement, under the National Referral Mechanism framework.
"Human trafficking is a complex, multi-dimensional challenge that cannot be addressed through governmental action alone," said Ministry of Home Affairs Senior Secretary Manzur Morshed Chowdhury.
"Effectively combating this crime requires a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach with equal participation from both the public and private sectors, development partners and civil society organisations through stable and sustainable financial resources," he said.
"Thus, all relevant actors must work together in a coordinated and cohesive manner," he added.
The consultation highlighted five key entry points for private sector engagement: employment generation, in-kind contributions, employee-led initiatives, strategic partnerships and direct financial support.
Representatives from the telecommunications, pharmaceutical and FMCG industries explored how to align their business goals with the social impact of survivors' reintegration.
The discussion focused on ensuring that those who have escaped trafficking are not only aided, but also integrated as productive stakeholders in the national economy.
Unilever Bangladesh Ltd Head of Corporate Affairs Shamima Akhter emphasised the sustainability of the model.
"There must be a clear indication from the government, supported by concrete evidence, of the funding requirements for the National Human Trafficking Prevention Fund," she said.
"Furthermore, the government must establish a transparent framework outlining how the fund will be utilised and define a structured role for private sector entities in its overall governance and management," she added.
The event concluded with a call for the private sector to collaborate with government entities to build a resilient preventive architecture.
By integrating counter-trafficking plans into corporate action plans and budgets, the dialogue sought to ensure that the momentum built through the consultation becomes standard practice going forward.
