13 arrested for 'human trafficking'

Rapid Action Battalion yesterday arrested 13 employees of two recruitment agencies in Paltan for allegedly being involved in trafficking women to the Middle East for prostitution.

The agencies are Shikder Overseas and Al-Hasib Overseas, said Rab-3 operation officer Yaseen Arafat.

Deputy Director of Rab-3 Maj Mohiuddin Ahmed told The Daily Star that a woman gave Tk 40,000 to Shikder Overseas to go to Lebanon with a job of house help but she was sent to Syria instead in August.

She was forced into prostitution there, he said.

After four months of torture, she managed to contact her family, which brought her home.

According to the woman's passport, she was taken to Dubai legally from where she was illegally taken to Syria.

After returning home, she filed a complaint with Rab, which led to a probe and the raid at the agencies in the capital, he said.

Shikder Recruiting Agency could not show any licence. However, Al-Hasib Overseas managed to show a licence.

The arrestees were: Jasim Uddin, Jamal Uddin Ahmed, Kazi Salman Hossain, Parvez, Siraj Shikder, Jakir Shikder, Jahid Hossain Jony, Shuvo Shikder, Shahidul Islam, ABM Nur Ullah, Rayhan, Hafizur Rahman, and Sagar Mahmud.