NEW DELHI, May 30 � Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi�s visit to Bangladesh, the Union Cabinet cleared two proposals, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the neighbouring country on bilateral cooperation for prevention of human trafficking.
A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for signing of the MoU on prevention of human trafficking, especially of women and children, and rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration of victims of trafficking, official sources told newsmen.
The MoU envisages strengthening cooperation to prevent all forms of human trafficking and ensuring speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers and organized crime syndicates in either country; enumeration of preventive measures that would be taken to eliminate human trafficking in women and children, and in protecting the rights of victims of trafficking.
Further, repatriation of victims would be done as expeditiously as possible and the home country will undertake safe and effective reintegration of the victims.
Sources said a task force of India and Bangladesh was constituted to take coordinated action against touts agents involved in human trafficking, and accordingly, four meetings of the task force have been held so far.
During the fourth meeting of the task force, which was held in Mumbai in April last, both the sides reviewed the progress on decisions taken in the earlier meetings and held comprehensive discussions and finalised the text of the draft MoU on prevention of human trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet approved the agreement on coastal shipping between India and Bangladesh to carry out coastal movement of goods between the two countries.
Exim trade between India and Bangladesh would be benefited by way of reduction in freight charges. It will also improve the utilisation of port capacities of Indian ports and open up new opportunities for Indian coastal vessels. It will also help in decongestion of roads, especially at the land custom stations and integrated check posts at the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The Indian ports serving as transhipment ports for Bangladeshi cargo will derive benefits by way of enhanced throughput, as a result of the Indo-Bangladesh coastal trade, the sources said.
India�s trade with Bangladesh has grown rapidly during the past few years. Bangladesh is now India�s largest trade partner in South Asia. The opening up of the coastal route between India and Bangladesh is expected to provide an alternative route for transportation of Exim cargo between the two countries.
Currently, there is no significant cargo movement between sea ports of Bangladesh and India, as it is not profitable for the big ocean-going vessels to operate between the sea ports of the two countries. Therefore, to reduce the cost of shipping operation, a lower but pragmatic standard of vessel, known as River Sea Vessel (RSV), has been prescribed for coastal shipping. The RSV category has significantly lower construction and operation cost without compromising on the safety of the vessel. For the Indo-Bangladesh coastal shipping, the RSV category of vessel has been agreed upon by both the countries.
NEW DELHI, May 30 � Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi�s visit to Bangladesh, the Union Cabinet cleared two proposals, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the neighbouring country on bilateral cooperation for prevention of human trafficking.
A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for signing of the MoU on prevention of human trafficking, especially of women and children, and rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration of victims of trafficking, official sources told newsmen.
The MoU envisages strengthening cooperation to prevent all forms of human trafficking and ensuring speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers and organized crime syndicates in either country; enumeration of preventive measures that would be taken to eliminate human trafficking in women and children, and in protecting the rights of victims of trafficking.
Further, repatriation of victims would be done as expeditiously as possible and the home country will undertake safe and effective reintegration of the victims.
Sources said a task force of India and Bangladesh was constituted to take coordinated action against touts agents involved in human trafficking, and accordingly, four meetings of the task force have been held so far.
During the fourth meeting of the task force, which was held in Mumbai in April last, both the sides reviewed the progress on decisions taken in the earlier meetings and held comprehensive discussions and finalised the text of the draft MoU on prevention of human trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet approved the agreement on coastal shipping between India and Bangladesh to carry out coastal movement of goods between the two countries.
Exim trade between India and Bangladesh would be benefited by way of reduction in freight charges. It will also improve the utilisation of port capacities of Indian ports and open up new opportunities for Indian coastal vessels. It will also help in decongestion of roads, especially at the land custom stations and integrated check posts at the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The Indian ports serving as transhipment ports for Bangladeshi cargo will derive benefits by way of enhanced throughput, as a result of the Indo-Bangladesh coastal trade, the sources said.
India�s trade with Bangladesh has grown rapidly during the past few years. Bangladesh is now India�s largest trade partner in South Asia. The opening up of the coastal route between India and Bangladesh is expected to provide an alternative route for transportation of Exim cargo between the two countries.
Currently, there is no significant cargo movement between sea ports of Bangladesh and India, as it is not profitable for the big ocean-going vessels to operate between the sea ports of the two countries. Therefore, to reduce the cost of shipping operation, a lower but pragmatic standard of vessel, known as River Sea Vessel (RSV), has been prescribed for coastal shipping. The RSV category has significantly lower construction and operation cost without compromising on the safety of the vessel. For the Indo-Bangladesh coastal shipping, the RSV category of vessel has been agreed upon by both the countries.
