By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: According to the National Crime Bureau report (2005), more than 40.9 percent women in trafficking are from West Bengal. It should be checked through special initiative by woman-led West Bengal government, said Dr. Masihur Rahman, state secretary of Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) at a press conference at Kolkata Press Club on 11th March.
Dr. Rahman said, woman trafficking is very serious issue of concern in West Bengal. So APCR has decided to launch a campaign `March against Women Trafficking’ from 11-16th March. He also informed that APCR and Empower People (New Delhi) have decided to launch this awareness campaign to prevent bride trafficking in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
(L-R) State Convenor of APCR Mehboob Ali, Khurshid Alam, APCR State Secretary Dr Masihur Rahman (Deliveriung the speech), Kazi Sadiq Hossain and Dr Manju Mukherjee of APCR in the press conference at Kolkata Press Club, on 11th March, 2012.
He expressed concern over the fact that most of the woman trafficking is happening in Muslim-dominated districts like Murshidabad, Maldah, Nadia, South & North 24 Parganas. Due to lack of education village girls are trapped by traffickers. Most of the trapped girls are living in rural areas and are under the poverty. So, Government should take notice of the matter. Government should run program to alleviate poverty. He appealed to all district magistrates of West Bengal to take special initiative to prevent the women trafficking.
Another human rights organization Asian Human Rights Society (AHRS) has joined hands with APCR on this issue. Dr Manju Mukherjee of AHRS, West Bengal unit offered support to the campaign and vowed to make it successful. Office secretary of State Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Sabir Hossain was also present at the press conference.