M Humayun Kabir: Some 592,000 victims of “modern slavery” live in Bangladesh, a condition of servitude broadly defined in a new global study as forced and state-imposed labour, sexual servitude and forced marriage, according to a survey report.
The Global Slavery Index, published on Thursday by Australia’s Walk Free Foundation, said Bangladesh ranks 92nd on the Global Slavery Index that tracks 167 countries worldwide.
The estimated proportion of population living in “modern slavery” in Bangladesh is 3.67 per 1,000 people, it said. The Global Slavery Index describes modern slavery as a complex and often hidden crime that crosses borders, sectors and jurisdictions.
Conflict and government repression are the main drivers of a crime estimated to affect more than 40 million people worldwide, the survey highlighted, adding that most victims of modern slavery live in Asia. In North Korea, one in 10 of the population, or 2.6 million people, is victims of modern slavery, the highest number in the world.
According to Walk Free’s 2018 calculation, India was home to the largest total number with an estimated 8 million slaves among its 1.3 billion populations. Two years ago, the index showed 18.3 million people living in modern slavery in India. The difference is due to changes in methodology, Walk Free said.
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