The minister explained that the MWCA has already instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take initiatives to put the proposal into action. The Ministry for Expatriates will also be involved to smooth the way for the immigration of women who wish to join the scheme and go abroad for better job opportunities.

"Trafficking of women could be stopped if they are sent abroad under the government's control and monitoring," the minister said adding that most of the trafficked women were deceived into migrating abroad by false offers of good job prospects.

"We have to identify the organised gangs, who control the trafficking of women and children," the minister stressed, saying that a concerted effort is needed for a comprehensive strategy to stop trafficking.

To this end, the MWCA has recently undertaken a pilot project named 'Child Development Co-ordinated Programme to Combat Trafficking'. The project, which aims to substantially reduce the trafficking of children to neighbouring countries, is being implemented in 25 upazilas of 14 border districts in Bangladesh.

Moreover, the ministry has also established a special anti-child trafficking cell, while the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) have two separate cells to identify and arrest traffickers and also rescue the trafficked women and children.

"We are also planning a major campaign to raise awareness of the issue which will consist of processions and media coverage organised in 20 different district towns at the end of the year," said Minister Khurshid Jahan Haque.