The Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, 2012, defines human trafficking as the act of intimidating or coercing a person or controlling a person by exploiting that person's socio-economic or environmental or any other vulnerability or transacting money or any other benefit. Accepts the consent of the person who has; Sales or purchase, collection, acceptance, deportation or transfer, shipment or detention or concealment or sheltering for the purpose of sexual exploitation or harassment or labor exploitation or any other exploitation or harassment inside or outside Bangladesh.
Anyone who commits the crime of human trafficking shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years and a fine not exceeding 50 (fifty) thousand rupees. If a person commits an offense under this Act, that person shall be punished with a penalty equal to the penalty imposed for the offense concerned. A person who commits a crime by illegally forcing another person to work against his will or forcing him to provide labor or services, or enslaving him, or forcing him to perform labor or services by using force or any kind of coercion or threat, shall be deemed to have committed a crime. For this he will be sentenced to not more than 12 (twelve) years and not less than 5 (five) years rigorous imprisonment and not less than 50 (fifty) thousand rupees fine. Abduction of a person for the purpose of committing a crime of human trafficking or for any other purpose of exploitation as described in section 2 (15) of this Act, including sexual exploitation or harassment, If concealed or detained he shall be deemed to have committed a crime and for such offense he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 (ten) years and not less than 5 (five) years and with a fine not less than 20 (twenty) thousand rupees. A person may, in order to commit a crime of human trafficking, send a newborn child to a hospital, service-house, maternity hospital, children's home, Or stealing or abducting the newborn from the custody of the parents shall be deemed to have committed a crime and for such offense he shall be punished with not more than life imprisonment and not less than 5 (five) years rigorous imprisonment and not less than 50 (fifty) thousand rupees fine. If a person forcibly or fraudulently or temptingly brings a person from abroad to Bangladesh for the purpose of prostitution or any other type of sexual exploitation or harassment, he shall be deemed to have committed a crime and shall not be liable for such offense. (7) He will be sentenced to one year and not less than 5 (five) years rigorous imprisonment and at least 50 (fifty) thousand rupees fine.
Any person who threatens, intimidates or coerces a victim of human trafficking or a member of his family or threatens to obstruct the investigation or trial of a case filed under this Act shall be deemed to have committed a crime and shall not be liable for such offense. Seven years and at least 3 (three) years rigorous imprisonment and at least 20 (twenty) thousand rupees fine.
Complaint and trial: If a crime is committed under this Act, a person can lodge a complaint with the police or tribunal and the police will provide necessary security to the person bringing such complaint and keep his name anonymous unless otherwise required due to legal proceedings. . A police officer who is not below the rank of Sub-Inspector of the concerned police station will carry out the investigation under this Act if the police are informed of any crime under this Act or if the tribunal directs investigation of any crime. For the purpose of speedy trial of offenses under this Act, the Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, Sessions Judges or Additional Sessions Judges may form a Tribunal for the Suppression of Human Trafficking in any district. Until the tribunal is formed, the government will be able to appoint or empower the Women and Child Abuse Suppression Tribunal in each district as the Human Trafficking Crime Suppression Tribunal in that district. The offenses under this Act shall be tried only by a tribunal constituted under this Act. The tribunal shall complete the trial within 180 (one hundred and eighty) working days from the formation of the charge of any offense committed under this Act. Appeals may be made to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh within 30 (thirty) days of the issuance of the judgment or sentence against any order, judgment or sentence of the Tribunal.