The Bangladesh High Commission in India has provided assurance that videoconferencing facility can be made available for the four Bangladeshi women caught up in Kozhikode if they are needed for the hearing of their case after they are sent back to their native place.
The four women, who are victims of human trafficking, were denied permission by the Foreigner Regional Registration Officer to go back to Bangladesh in April 2016 on the ground that they would be needed here for the hearing. But with the High Commission stepping in with the offer, their dream to get back with their families may finally materialise.
Three of the women staying at the Mahila Mandiram in Kozhikode have been here for the last eight years while the fourth one staying at the After Care Home in the city has been here for two years. They were underage when the crime took place.
So far, most of the accused in the cases they are involved are absconding. As far as the fourth woman is concerned, the inquiry on her case is yet to begin. An NGO, Arm of Joy, had made a desperate attempt to send them back to Bangladesh in April 2016, but did not succeed owing to various technicalities.
The Bangladesh High Commission, with the help of an NGO in Bangladesh, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, has gained assurance from the District Magistrates in the respective home districts of these women that they would be made available for court hearing through videoconferencing if they are allowed to go back to their native place. The communication has been mailed to G. Anoop, director, Arm of Joy.
Earlier, the Child Welfare Committee, Malappuram, where their cases were registered, has gained the consent of the Public Prosecutor, Manjeri, who is prosecuting the case, that the women could be released after producing their addresses with phone numbers and identification proof along with assurance that they will be available when summoned for the hearing.
High Commission offers video-conferencing facility for the trial of human trafficking victims
