Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre (BDPC), an NGO revealed this after a survey conducted for 16 months.

The districts are Khulna, Jhenidah, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Satkhira and Jessore.

The NGO traced a few victims mostly women and children trafficked, but did not reveal their identities due to 'social barrier.'

Fourteen women and children aged 6 to 30, narrowly escaped from traffickers after passing a period from three months to a year or more. Four of them worked as slaves in Pakistan for several years before their freedom.

According to the NGO, strong syndicates involved in trafficking are active in different border points. The NGO identified Darshana in Chuadanga, Kaliganj in Jhenidah, Jhikorgachha in Jessore and Phultola in Khulna district as their strongholds.

At least 700 persons mostly women and children had been trafficked from June, 2003 to September, 2004, according to the survey. They included male persons aged 30 to 50.

Most of the trafficked women and children were sent to India and Middle East. Women victims were sold there as domestic help or sex worker, while children were sold as domestic help or jockey in Middle East, the survey said.

The NGO said policemen lack training on anti-trafficking issue. Besides, border guards Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) do not take proper action to check trafficking. Moreover, there is no government initiative to control trafficking.

Only five NGOs work in the region on the issue. But they had many limitations.

The rehabilitation programme of the government is very poor. There are only two centers in Kushtia and Jessore districts.

Poverty, illiteracy, lack of job opportunity are the main causes behind human trafficking. Besides, non-implementation of anti-trafficking law is another cause of increased trafficking, the survey said.