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Bangladesh continues to face a silent human rights crisis that rarely receives sustained public attention: modern slavery. Although slavery was legally abolished long ago, millions of people around the world remain trapped in situations where they are deprived of their freedom through coercion, deception, violence, debt, or abuse of power. In Bangladesh, modern slavery affects some of the country's most vulnerable citizens, undermining human dignity, social justice, and sustainable development.
Modern slavery refers to forced labour, human trafficking, debt bondage, forced marriage, exploitative child labour, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. Victims are not legally owned, but they cannot leave because of intimidation, threats, financial dependence, or physical and psychological control. According to the Global Slavery Index 2023, an estimated 1.16 million people in Bangladesh were living in conditions of modern slavery in 2021, representing 7.1 victims per 1,000 populations. Bangladesh is also among the top ten countries globally with the highest estimated number of people living in modern slavery.
The victims are not a single identifiable group. They include migrant workers who pay excessive recruitment fees and become trapped in debt bondage abroad, workers in garment factories, brick kilns, tea estates, construction sites, fishing, agriculture, and domestic service who endure abusive working conditions, women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation, children engaged in hazardous labour, and Rohingya refugees who remain highly vulnerable to trafficking and forced labour. Poverty, unemployment, lack of education, climate-induced displacement, weak labour inspections, and inadequate law enforcement continue to fuel this exploitation.
Most victims come from poor families in rural areas or urban informal settlements. They generally have little or no formal education, limiting their employment opportunities and bargaining power. Many earn only BDT 8,000 to 15,000 per month, often without written contracts, minimum wages, social security, health insurance, or safe working conditions. In many sectors, workers endure excessive working hours, wage theft, physical abuse, and restrictions on freedom of movement.
Modern slavery is more than an economic issue; it is a profound violation of human rights. Victims lose not only their freedom but also their dignity, security, education, health, and hope for a better future. Women and girls frequently face multiple forms of abuse, including sexual violence, forced marriage, and domestic exploitation. Children are deprived of education and exposed to hazardous work that permanently affects their physical and mental development. Survivors of trafficking often return home carrying social stigma, making reintegration into society extremely difficult.
The social consequences extend far beyond individual victims. Families lose income, communities become trapped in intergenerational poverty, and public confidence in justice and governance is weakened. Exploitation also damages Bangladesh's international reputation, particularly in labour-intensive export sectors and overseas migration.
Bangladesh has enacted several important laws to combat these crimes. The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equality before the law, protection of life and liberty, freedom from forced labour, and the right to human dignity. The Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act 2012, the Bangladesh Labour Act, the Child Marriage Restraint Act, and various child protection laws provide legal safeguards against trafficking, forced labour, and exploitation. Bangladesh has also ratified key international conventions, including several International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.
Yet legislation alone has not solved the problem. Weak enforcement, corruption, lengthy judicial processes, limited labour inspections, insufficient victim identification, and inadequate rehabilitation services continue to undermine the effectiveness of these legal protections. The Global Slavery Index 2023 notes that while Bangladesh has one of the stronger legal frameworks in Asia, significant gaps remain in protecting survivors and preventing exploitation, particularly in the informal economy, which employs approximately 85 percent of the country's workforce.
Bangladesh can learn valuable lessons from countries that have strengthened their response to modern slavery. The United Kingdom's Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses to report measures taken to eliminate forced labour from their supply chains. Australia has introduced similar corporate reporting requirements to improve transparency and accountability. Brazil has successfully reduced forced labour through specialised mobile labour inspection teams, stronger law enforcement, and public disclosure of companies violating labour standards. These experiences demonstrate that strong legislation must be supported by effective enforcement, independent inspections, victim protection, and corporate accountability.
For Bangladesh, addressing modern slavery requires a comprehensive national strategy. Labour inspections must be expanded to cover the informal economy, recruitment agencies should be more closely regulated, trafficking networks must be prosecuted swiftly, and migrant workers should receive greater legal protection before departure and while working overseas. At the same time, expanding education, vocational training, social protection, and employment opportunities can reduce vulnerability to exploitation. Businesses must also strengthen due diligence to ensure that their supply chains are free from forced labour.
The media, civil society, educational institutions, religious leaders, and local communities also have critical roles to play. Public awareness campaigns can help citizens recognise trafficking, forced labour, and child exploitation while reducing the stigma faced by survivors. Communities that support rather than reject survivors are essential for successful rehabilitation and reintegration.
Modern slavery is not merely a labour issue or a law enforcement challenge; it is a test of Bangladesh's commitment to human rights, justice, and inclusive development. As the country aspires to become a prosperous and developed nation, economic progress cannot be measured solely by GDP growth or export earnings. It must also be measured by whether every worker can labour with dignity, every child can attend school instead of a workplace, every migrant can migrate safely, and every citizen can live free from exploitation and fear.
Ending modern slavery is both a legal obligation and a moral imperative. Bangladesh has already taken important steps, but transforming laws into meaningful protection will require stronger political commitment, coordinated action, and the collective resolve of government, employers, civil society, and citizens alike. Only then can the country ensure that no one remains invisible, voiceless, or trapped in the chains of modern slavery.
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The writer is the Editor and CEO of News Network