Female Child Trafficking from Bangladesh: A New Form of Slavery1/TRAFIC DE PETITES FILLES AU BANGLADESH: UNE NOUVELLE FORME D'ESCLAVAGE

Abstract: Slavery was a dominant phenomenon of antiquity. Gradually it has declined in the modern world. The blessings of modern moral attitudes and virtues were instrumental for these structural changes. Recently, child trafficking, especially female child trafficking has become a painful reality in Bangladesh. This child trafficking has been occurring internally and also across the border to India, Pakistan, Malaysia and many Middle Eastern countries. The rate of growth of this trafficking has been increasing alarmingly in this country. Every year several hundred (under the age of eighteen) children are being trafficked abroad. These trafficked children are adapting to a new life style which is different from the life style had they lived in their normal (life style which they supposed to follow before trafficking) situation. A new personality is emerging because of their forced adaptation with the situation they live in. As a result a new culture (culture of trafficked child) emerges in their environment. In this paper, the author argues that this emergent culture of trafficked child is the new form of slave culture of the antiquity. Key words: Female Child; Trafficking; Slavery; Culture of Trafficked Child Resume: L'esclavage est un phenomene dominant de l'antiquite. Peu a peu, il a decline dans le monde moderne. Les benedictions d'attitudes morales et des vertus modernes ont contribue a ces changements structurels. Recemment, le trafic des enfants, en particulier le trafic des petites filles est devenue une realite douloureuse au Bangladesh. Ce trafic d'enfants est survenu a l'interieur du pays et egalement a travers la frontiere vers l'Inde, le Pakistan, la Malaisie et de nombreux pays du Moyen-Orient. Le taux de croissance de ce trafic a augmente de facon alarmante dans ce pays. Chaque annee, plusieurs centaines (de moins de dix-huit ans) d'enfants sont trafiques vers l'etranger. Ces enfants sont obliges de s'adapter a un nouveau style de vie qui est different de celui qu'ils avaient vecu dans leur situation normale ( le style de vie qu'ils sont censes de suivre avant la traite). Une nouvelle personnalite se dessine du fait de leur adaptation forcee a la situation dans laquelle ils vivent actuellement. Par consequent, une nouvelle culture (culture des enfants trafiques) apparait dans leur environnement. Dans cet article, l'auteur fait valoir que cette culture emergente des enfants trafiques est la nouvelle forme de culture des esclaves de l'antiquite. Mots-Cles: petite fille; trafic; esclavage; culture des enfants trafiques 1. PRELUDE Trafficking is a phenomenon continuing from the earliest period of civilization (Ali and others ed., 2001). Human trafficking, one of the important global crises is linked with globalization and the sex industry growing across the world. The criminal business "Human trafficking", especially in children and women is the outcome of social and economic vulnerabilities of people in the southern countries as well as in Bangladesh. Presently, child trafficking especially female child trafficking has become a painful reality in Bangladesh. This child trafficking has been occurring internally and also across the border to India, Pakistan, Malaysia and many Middle Eastern countries. The rate of growth of this trafficking has been increasing alarmingly in this country. Every year several hundred (under the age of eighteen) children are being trafficked abroad. These trafficked children are adapting to a new life style which is different from the life style had they lived in their normal (life style which they supposed to follow before trafficking) situation. A new personality is emerging because of their forced adaptation with the situation they live in. As a result, a new culture (culture of trafficked child) emerges in their environment. In this paper, the author argues that this emergent culture of trafficked child is the new form of slave culture of the antiquity. …