Bangladesh Counter Trafficking-in-Persons (BC/TIP) Program Quarterly Performance Report: Q3, Year 5

Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Winrock International. The program aims to provide technical assistance to the Government of Bangladesh in implementing the National Plan of Action (NPA) 2018-2022 to counter trafficking in persons. The NPA is a mechanism for tracking the country's progress in preventing, protecting, prosecuting, and partnering to combat trafficking in persons. The BC/TIP program works in 20 select districts to address issues of trafficking, child marriage, and gender-based violence (GBV). The project connects local and national government representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), development partners, citizens, and community leaders to prevent TIP and child marriage, protect survivors from revictimization, prosecute perpetrators, and engage at all levels of society as change agents in curbing the crime. The program focuses on four areas of emphasis: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership. In the prevention area, the program strengthens the capacity of stakeholders to identify victims of trafficking and child marriage and take action. In the protection area, the program improves victims' access to assistance. In the prosecution area, the program increases the responsiveness of criminal justice actors to victims of trafficking and child marriage. In the partnership area, the program facilitates effective and coordinated partnerships among stakeholders to combat trafficking and child marriage. The BC/TIP program is also working in Cox's Bazar to address the issues of trafficking, child marriage, and GBV in refugee camps and host communities. The program is implementing a carefully designed set of activities to address these issues, focusing on prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership. The program is working in Ukhia and Teknaf Upazila of Cox's Bazar where the Rohingya camps are located and with Rohingya populations living outside of camps. In 2019, Bangladesh received a waiver to remain on the US State Department's Tier 2 Watch List for the third year in a row. The country remains vulnerable to human trafficking, and the BC/TIP program is working to address this issue through its activities in prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership. The program has made significant progress in its activities, including strengthening the capacity of stakeholders to identify victims of trafficking and child marriage and take action. The program has also improved victims' access to assistance and increased the responsiveness of criminal justice actors to victims of trafficking and child marriage. Additionally, the program has facilitated effective and coordinated partnerships among stakeholders to combat trafficking and child marriage. The BC/TIP program is working collaboratively with stakeholders to reduce the prevalence of human trafficking and child marriage in Bangladesh. The program's activities are focused on addressing the root causes of trafficking and child marriage, including poverty, lack of education, and social and cultural norms that perpetuate these issues. The program's achievements and activities are outlined in this report, which covers the period from April to June 2019. The report also includes information on the current socio-economic and political situation in Bangladesh and the challenges addressed by the BC/TIP project.