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Agreed minutes of the Fourth Meeting of the Task Force on Human Trafficking between India and Bangladesh held in Mumbai, India

6th - 7th April, 2014

The fourth meeting of the Task Force on Human Trafficking between India and Bangladesh was held in Mumbai, India, from 6-7th April, 2014. The Indian delegation was led by Mr. S. Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The Bangladesh delegation was led by Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. The list of the delegates is annexed.

2. Both sides reviewed the progress on decisions taken in the Third meeting of the Task Force held in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh from 8-9th December, 2012 and expressed their satisfaction at the pace of bilateral cooperation in addressing the issue of human trafficking.

3. The two sides held comprehensive discussions and finalized the text of the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Prevention of Human Trafficking especially Trafficking in Women and Children: Rescue, Recovery, Repatriation and Reintegration of Victims of Human Trafficking. The agreed text of the proposed MOU was initialed by the both Heads of Delegations. It was further agreed that the MOU be signed during the next Home Secretary level talks proposed to be held in Dhaka soon. The agreed text is annexed.

4. Both sides held wide ranging discussions on other agenda points and the following was agreed:

a) to take effective preventive measures in the respective countries including strengthening border controls, raising awareness and taking effective legal actions against traffickers, touts and agents involved in human trafficking;

b) to strengthen bilateral cooperation with regard to mutual legal assistance, prosecution of persons involved in human trafficking and rescue, recovery, repatriation of victims of human trafficking;

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c) to conduct coordinated patrolling and strengthen other border management measures as agreed in the Coordinated Border Management Plan signed in 2011 in the presence of Honble Home Ministers of both the countries.

d) to expedite the process of nationality verification and confirmation and hold a Joint Workshop in New Delhi in the second half of 2014. It was also agreed that cases pending for verification of nationality from either countries for more than 1 year would be taken up on priority basis. Such cases, if not resolved, shall be escalated to higher authorities.

e) to develop and share database on victims in the shelter homes and visit to shelter houses will be taken into consideration to facilitate and expedite the process;

f) to set up more transit shelter homes along the India-Bangladesh border by both the Governments;

g) to maintain and share the database on traffickers on regular basis;

h) to regularly exchange information through the designated focal points in Ministry of Home Affairs in India (jscs@nic.in) and Bangladesh (knz2005@gmail.com) and copies of the communication would also be marked to other concerned agencies;

i) to organize joint training and capacity building programmes in the prevention of human trafficking and combating organized crime for concerned agencies of both countries;

j) to designate NGOs in India and Bangladesh for expediting process of rescue, repatriation and rehabilitation of the victims of human trafficking.

5. The Indian side handed over to Bangladesh a list of victims of trafficking awaiting repatriation to Bangladesh, presently staying in different shelter homes of Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

6. The Bangladesh side informed the Task Force on the development took place at its end. In response to the request of Government of India for

verification and repatriation regarding the list provided earlier, letters sent

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to different concerned authorities at Mumbai, Pune, Banglore, Ahmedabad and Chennai to issue travel permits for victims of trafficking, conveying readiness of the Government of Bangladesh.

7. Both delegations visited Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruha, Mumbai.

8. The leader of the Bangladesh delegation thanked the leader of the Indian delegation for the warm hospitality extended to its delegation

during their stay in Mumbai and invited the Indian delegation to visit Bangladesh for the fifth Task Force Meeting. The dates would be finalized through diplomatic channels mutually.

S. Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary,

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary,

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of the Peoples Republic

of Bangladesh.

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List of Delegates

Bangladesh 1. Dr. Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs 2. Mr. Shawkat Mostafa, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs 3. Mr. Nurul Kabir Siddiqui, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare 4. Ms Samina Naz, Deputy High Commissioner, Bangladesh High Commission in Mumbai 5. Mr. AFM Zahid-ul-Islam, Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 6. Ms Rukhsana Hasin, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs 7. Mr. Md. Barkat Ullah Khan, Special Superintendent of Police, Special Branch 8. Major Md. Taslim Uddin, PSC, Addl. Director(Operation), BGB HQrs 9. Md. Rashedujjaman, First Secretary, Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, Mumbai India 1.Shri S Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary(CS), Ministry of Home Affairs 2.Dr. Praveen Kumari Singh, Director(SR), Ministry of Home Affairs 3.Mr. Manoj Mohapatra, High Commission of India, Dhaka, 4.Mr. S.K. Mishra, IG(G), Border Security Force 5. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, IG(CID), Maharashtra 6.Smt Binita Thakur, DIG, Central Bureau of Investigation 7. Ms Sarmistha Das, Joint Secretary, Govt of West Bengal 8. Mr. G. Devnani, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Women & Child Development 9. Mr. Deba Prasad Tripathi, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs 10. Mr. Ajay Kanoujia, Deputy Secretary(NE), Ministry of Home Affairs 11.Mr. R. Srinivasa, DSP, Chennai 12.Mr. Sudhakar Chavan, Joint Secretary, Deptt of Home, Maharashtra 13.Mr. Satish Kumar Singh, Section Officer, Ministry of Home Affairs