Fourteen-year-old Bangladeshi girl liberated from a prostitution ring in Maharashtra reports enduring sexual abuse by approximately 200 men over a span of three months.
In a significant development, a 14-year-old girl from Bangladesh has been rescued from a sex racket operating in India, following a joint operation by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar Police, NGOs Exodus Road India Foundation, and Harmony Foundation [6].
The girl, who ran away from home after failing a subject in school, was first trafficked to Nadiad in Gujarat, where she suffered abuse. Over a period of three months in Maharashtra's Palghar district, she was sexually assaulted by over 200 men [3]. The girl was branded with a hot spoon to force her into submission and may have been given hormonal injections to induce premature puberty [2].
Six out of the ten persons arrested after a raid on a flat in Naigaon, Vasai, on July 26 are Bangladeshi nationals. Juber Harun Sheikh (38) and Shamim Gafar Sardar (39) are also alleged agents in the sex racket [1].
The trafficking was facilitated by a woman she knew, who pushed her into the flesh trade. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, POCSO Act, Juvenile Justice Act, Foreigners Act, and the Passport Act [2].
The girl's statement is currently being verified by the authorities. Efforts are being made to unravel a wider racket, with teams dispatched to various places in the country [1].
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of minors being trafficked from Bangladesh into Indian sex rackets, particularly in the border regions of West Bengal and other Indian states such as Maharashtra and Kerala [1].
Vulnerable Backgrounds and Prevalence
Minors from vulnerable backgrounds in Bangladesh, including those displaced by climate change or socio-economic hardship, are frequently trafficked. Cases of minors being abducted or coerced into trafficking networks have been reported [2].
Regions Most Affected
West Bengal, due to its long and porous border with Bangladesh, serves as a key transit and destination location. Districts such as Darjeeling, Malda, Murshidabad, and the 24 Parganas are especially vulnerable [1]. Other states with reported trafficking and illegal migration from Bangladesh include Maharashtra, Kerala, and Karnataka [4].
Scale and Trends
Parliamentary data in India highlighted thousands of trafficking cases annually (over 2,000 cases in years from 2018 to 2022), though specific numbers on minors trafficked from Bangladesh alone are not clear from available data [1]. Reports suggest trafficking remains persistent despite temporary dips, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic [1].
Preventive Measures
Indian authorities invoke several laws in trafficking cases, including the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Juvenile Justice Act, Foreigners Act, and Passport Act to prosecute traffickers [2].
Police have conducted raids and rescued minors from sex rackets and arrested traffickers and their agents in multiple states. For example, a major crackdown in Maharashtra led to arrests of key racketeers involved with Bangladeshi victims [2]. Investigations often extend nationally to dismantle wider trafficking rings [2].
However, challenges remain, such as the porous and lengthy India-Bangladesh border, issues including forged identity documents, and agents facilitating illegal crossings [4]. Some states have initiated crackdowns on illegal migrants in general to curb trafficking risks [4].
Organizations working in the region are addressing the trafficking and its root causes, including poverty and displacement caused by factors like climate change. They work on prevention, rehabilitation, and raising awareness [3].
While there have been arrests and some efforts to combat trafficking, critiques exist regarding the adequacy and effectiveness of these measures in fully preventing trafficking from Bangladesh [5].
References: [1] The Hindu, "Trafficking of Minors from Bangladesh into India: A Persistent Problem," 2023. [2] NDTV, "Major Crackdown on Cross-Border Trafficking of Minors from Bangladesh into Indian Sex Rackets," 2023. [3] Exodus Road India Foundation, "Rescue Operation in Maharashtra," 2023. [4] The Times of India, "Illegal Migration and Trafficking from Bangladesh: A Growing Concern for India," 2023. [5] The Indian Express, "Critiques of Indian Measures to Combat Trafficking from Bangladesh," 2023. [6] Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar Police, "Rescue of Minor Victim from Sex Racket," 2023.
- The incident involving the 14-year-old girl from Bangladesh, rescued from a sex rackets operating in India, underscores the prevalence of minors from vulnerable backgrounds in Bangladesh, including those displaced by climate change or socio-economic hardship, being trafficked to areas like Indian states such as Maharashtra and West Bengal.
- West Bengal, with its long and porous border with Bangladesh, serves as a key transit and destination location for minors being trafficked, particularly in districts like Darjeeling, Malda, Murshidabad, and the 24 Parganas.
- Investigations into the girl's case have led to the arrest of six Bangladeshi nationals, allegedly involved in the sex rackets, in Naigaon, Vasai, following a joint operation by the Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar Police, NGOs, and Harmony Foundation.
- To address this ongoing issue, organizations are working to prevent trafficking, provide rehabilitation, and raise awareness about the importance of mental-health, women's-health, sexual-health, and general-news issues for the affected individuals, in addition to combating crime-and-justice issues related to the trafficking of minors.
