Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps at risk of becoming human trafficking hub 

Concluding Part

Hence, for smart recommendations to the concern organs in Bangladesh and other countries, empirical research is time worthy. Nevertheless, there is limited research on human trafficking that focuses on Rohingya women and children, particularly. Some studies found the vital role of non-state actors in counter-trafficking efforts among Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar through community engagement and partnerships, while others detected poverty, social exclusion, and frail law enforcement as main trafficking drivers in Rohingya and host communities, which can be addressed. 

In addition, the documents that can protect the rights of the Rohingya women and children can be explored. These include; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, 1989), Geneva Conventions (1949) and Additional Protocols, Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Statelessness Conventions, Myanmar Citizenship Law (1982), Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948), Convention Against Torture (CAT). The Women and Children Repression Prevention Act (2000, amended 2003), The Penal Code (1860), The Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act 1933 (repealed after enactment of The Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000), The Children Act (1974), The Bangladesh Passport Order (1973), The Passport (Offense) Act (1952), The Emigration Ordinance (1982), The Extradition Act, (1974).

“Next month there will be a High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Crises, scheduled to take place in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. It is worthy to delineate the key routes, procedures, and stakeholders involved, before presenting the seven- point proposals”

However, despite the state's enactment of multiple policies and action plans aimed at addressing it, the issue of women and child trafficking in Bangladesh has become a tenacious and deeply rooted problem. In 2024, the U.S. State Department's 2024 Trafficking in Persons report distinguished that the Government of Bangladesh identified 1,210 victims of human trafficking, but media reports and academic research continue to disclose that there is no significant drop in the number of trafficked individuals. Besides, UNODC found that trafficking-related convictions in South Asia dropped by 56% in 2020 compared to previous years, showing clear weaknesses in the legal system. Furthermore, the conviction rate for human trafficking cases in Bangladesh is still worryingly low; between 2013 and 2019, only 0.5% of the 4,668 cases filed resulted in convictions.

Such robust trafficking networks and low prosecution rates underscore the urgent threat posed to the camps' internal security, social stability, and peace, strengthening the argument that Cox's Bazar functions as a focal point for trafficking activities. These dynamics also erode the country's international standing and exacerbate strain on law enforcement and social services.

Stopping the crime against humanity needed to identify the patterns and networks of trafficking, concentrating on the procedures, routes, and key actors engaged in exploiting such marginalized, vulnerable people. Moreover, the protection gaps and the limitations in the existing legal frameworks, inefficient mechanisms of law enforcement agencies, and failures of humanitarian interventions should be identified.

On the other hand, by developing a community-based risk profile, it could underscore the most at-risk groups within the Rohingya community, permitting more targeted and effective responses. Ultimately, proper authority must provide evidence-based policy and program recommendations intended to foster anti-trafficking efforts and establish a support mechanism for victims. We must keep in mind the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) report that says 'locals who once welcomed Rohingyas are now agitated as refugees work outside camps, hurting jobs and wages'. 

However, next month there will be a High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Crises, scheduled to take place in New York of the United Nations General Assembly. It is worthy to delineate the key routes, procedures, and stakeholders involved, before presenting the seven- point proposals at the interlocution. Besides, to ensure the collaborative efforts need to examine gaps in cooperation among law enforcement agencies, NGOs, and state actors, to propose actionable strategies.