‘Traffickers dupe girls promising jobs in Dubai dance clubs’

After parting ways with her husband, Luky Akter (not real name), a resident at Narayanganj's Bandar upazila, was desperately looking for a job to make her own living as she preferred not to become a burden on her poor parents. 

Soon after, she came to know about a lucrative job opportunity in a Dubai dance club from one of her friends.  

Her friend took her to ADC Onik Dance Company in Narayanganj town for that.

Owner of the academy, Onik Hossain told her that they would do everything – from teaching her how to dance, making her passport, visa to air ticket – required for sending her to Dubai.

All went "smoothly" as promised to her until she was rescued by police on Sunday and she came to realise that it was a well-thought-out ploy to traffic her abroad.    

A team of the Rapid Action Battalion on the day arrested six human traffickers from Rupganj in Narayanganj and Fakirerpul in the capital. They also seized a good number of passports, 50 air tickets, 50 visas, and Tk1.58 lakh from their possession, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.

The arrestees are Onik Hossen, 31, Monir Hossen alias Shohag, 30, Akter Hossen, 40, Aftaul Islam alias Parvez, 37, Abdul Hannan, 50, and Akash, 29.

The RAB team rescued four girls from their clutch.

The arrestees are members of an international human trafficking gang. They are engaged in trafficking girls aged between 16 and 25, promising them good jobs and attractive pays, according to RAB sources.

Luky was literally lucky to have come out of the deception but that was not the case for many innocent girls who on different occasions fell prey to their traps. They were abused physically and mentally abroad for refusing to get involved in unsocial activities.

More than 50 human traffickers, including three dance clubs and several recruiting agencies, are directly involved in trafficking of teenage girls.

They have allegedly trafficked 721 girls to different countries, including Dubai, Abudabi and Malaysia in the last one year.

The human trafficking racket sent smart and good-looking girls abroad, said RAB officials.

A number of agents, brokers at passport offices, owners of dance bars and travel agencies are allegedly involved in human trafficking.

Traffickers target divorced and smart girls, who work in garment factories. When the girls agree on their tempting offers, the syndicate send their photographs to owners of dance clubs. Later, the girls are called for interview at luxury hotels or restaurants, said RAB officials after interrogating the arrested persons. 

After the final selection of girls, the syndicate make their passports with the help of brokers.

When the girls reach abroad, the syndicate members take them to their custody. They never allow them to go outside.

The gang members start torturing them when they refuse to get involved in unsocial activities. Eventually, the girls are forced to give in.  

The trafficking racket follow all required procedures before trafficking the girls.

Rezaul Hoque, acting commanding officer of RAB-11, told The Business Standard that they got to know the sensational information about female trafficking behind running dance clubs after interrogating the arrestees.

He also said the RAB identified some dance clubs which are involved in human trafficking. They conn girls, promising good jobs in Dubai dance clubs.

These dance clubs include "Gangchil Dance Club" "Tarar Mela Nrityo Academy" and "ADC Onik Dance Company". Akter Hossain and Onik Sarkar are the owners of those clubs.

They have a good connection with Dubai-based dance clubs.

Not only to Dubai, the syndicate also traffic girls to Abu Dhabi and Malaysia.

According to the report, the syndicate receives Tk10 to Tk15 thousand for every girl.

According to sources, the syndicate has several agents, who are working for collecting girls, passports and visas and other.

Several travel agencies were involved with this syndicate.