They said Bangladesh and other Saarc member countries have ratified the convention in November last year, but the definition provided in the convention is very narrow and focuses only on prostitution rather than addressing trafficking from broader perspective.

The meeting titled 'Appraisal of the implementation of Saarc Convention on Trafficking' was organised by the Centre for Women and Children Studies (CWCS) at its conference room in the city.

Supported by the Centre for Social Research of New Delhi, SARIQ, AED and USAID, the meeting was held to make a toolkit and to provide recommendations for proper implementation of the convention effectively.

"The convention does not clarify the recipient country's accountability in rescue, rehabilitation, repatriation and reintegration of trafficked women and children," said CWCS President Prof Ishrat Shamim.

The speakers stressed the need for formulation of similar kind of laws and their incorporation in domestic laws of the member countries to ensure trial of the traffickers and others involved in it.

They urged the civil society and NGOs to forge a strong movement to pressurise the governments of Saarc countries to formulate and incorporate the laws.

"Until the convention is incorporated with the domestic laws of the member states, the convention will be just in paper,” National Protection Officer of UNHCR Dr Uttam Kumar Das told the meeting while speaking as special guest.

He said there is no specific article on trafficking in the constitution of Bangladesh. The amended ordinance issued in 1983 is also yet to be implemented.

Speaking as chief guest, Masud Hassan Siddique of International Labour Organisation (ILO) called for preparing alternative report on the convention, alongside the government report, to inform people about the actual progress and outcome of the convention.

" Bangladesh government signed the ILO Convention in 1985 aiming to stop child labour, but did not take any steps to manage alternatives for those children," he added while talking about child trafficking.

He said the government could not afford protection to child labour though it created awareness and conducted campaign and advocacy.

The speakers also talked about the rehabilitation of the trafficked victims and maintaining their confidentiality.

CWCS Advisor Prof Latifa Akanda, Dr Mahbuba Nasreen and representatives of BNWLA, Save the Children UK and TMSS were present at the meeting.