It also termed poverty, unemployment and social injustice as the root causes of human trafficking, urging the developed nations to provide more foreign aids to the developing nations as part of poverty reduction programme.

The observations came at the launching ceremony of 'Training Programme for the Lawyers on Combating Trafficking in Persons' jointly organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Ministry of Home Affairs in association with Legal Education and Training Institute of Bangladesh Bar Council.

"The illegal trade of human beings is encouraged by defying job opportunities legally available in the rich countries, which are the beneficiaries of human trafficking," said Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Barrister Mainul Hosein who was speaking as the chief guest.

"We talk about prosecution, protection, but not the key issue, poverty alleviation. Within Bangladesh, we have to give more efforts to alleviate poverty through inclusion of the poor and the unemployed into the development process," added Barrister Mainul.

Rich countries are the main destinations of human trafficking where cheap human labour and services are exploited humiliating the illegal immigrants who undergo tremendous sufferings, he said.

"This dark and inhumane side should also be considered while making the policies," Mainul said, seeking international cooperation in this regard.

Referring to a UN report, he said human trafficking broke out like an epidemic in the last decade and some 2.5 million people throughout the world are, at any given moment, the victims of human trafficking.

"We celebrated the 2000th anniversary of eliminating slave trade, but a new form of slave trade still exists," the adviser said and added that lakhs of illegal immigrants are working unpaid or low-paid and living an inhumane life just because they are illegal.

The developed world is allowing free movement of goods, but not human beings, who can move for economic reasons to the developed countries from the developing ones, Abdul Karim, secretary to the ministry of home affairs, said.

The World Bank suggested the developing nations to provide 7 percent of their GNP (Gross National Production) to the developing nations, but they only provide .22 percent, he said urging the rich nations to increase foreign aids.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Amir-ul Islam suggested creation of employment opportunities for the unemployed, specially for women, in a view to eliminating human trafficking.

Terming the social menace a global phenomenon, he said there must be a holistic and multi-lateral approach where all stakeholders governments, donors, NGOs, lawyers and law enforcers would work together to bring an end to social sufferings caused by human trafficking.

Attorney General Fida M Kamal asked the lawyers to ensure human dignity while dealing with the cases of human trafficking.

Bangladesh Bar Council Vice Chairman Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud termed the collaboration between the IOM and Bar Council a positive beginning. There will be a series of training programmes for the lawyers, which will really help understand and deal with such cases, he noted.

IOM Head of Counter-Trafficking Division Richard Danziger in his keynote speech said the training programme will help the law enforcers, immigration officials and others to better identify the victims, which usually has been a difficult job.

He also urged the government to sign and ratify the Trafficking Protocol.

IOM South Asian Regional Representative Shahidul Haque and Dr Mizanur Rahman of Dhaka University also spoke.