Surge in China–bound Bangladeshi women sparks concerns over trafficking

Dhaka: Bangladesh is witnessing a disturbing rise in the movement of women to China on family-reunion visas, raising concerns about their vulnerability to trafficking.

The surge in China-bound women, alongside documented trafficking cases, suggests that criminal brokers are increasingly exploiting the migration route, a report has stated.

The trend also raises broader questions about whether Bangladesh’s regulatory and law-enforcement institutions are keeping pace with the risks associated with expanding cross-border activity amid China’s growing economic, commercial and strategic footprint in the South Asian nation, according to a report in Bangladesh’s newspaper Daily Sun.

“At least 4,226 Bangladeshi women travelled to China on Q1 family visas between 2020 and 2025. The number rose from just 35 in 2022 to 1,016 in 2023, 1,378 in 2024 and 1,721 in 2025. The figures, presented at a recent workshop on human trafficking legislation, have raised concerns among law-enforcement and anti-trafficking organisations,” it detailed.

The report highlighted that the cases are especially troubling because the women involved come from economically disadvantaged families, including, in some instances, indigenous communities in Bangladesh’s Chattogram Hill Tracts.

“A Chakma family in Rangamati alleged that a young woman was taken to Dhaka and forced to marry a Chinese national. A Marma woman from Khagrachari similarly alleged that she was compelled to marry a Chinese man. In another case, a young woman from Bagerhat alleged that she was drugged, threatened with compromising material and subsequently trafficked to China, where she said she suffered abuse,” the report detailed.

“Such cases reveal how legitimate marriage and migration channels can be manipulated by criminal intermediaries. Local brokers may approach families with promises of financial security, employment or a better future abroad. Investigators have documented allegations involving false addresses, forged documents and fraudulent marriage paperwork,” it added.

According to ‘Daily Sun’, in reported cases intermediaries have allegedly taken or sought payments ranging from Bangladeshi taka Tk10 lakh to Tk20 lakh to facilitate women’s travel to China.

“The problem does not end with trafficking. In March, the Department of Narcotics Control dismantled a makeshift ketamine laboratory in Uttara and arrested three Chinese nationals. Authorities recovered about 6.3kg of ketamine and alleged that the suspects were involved in an international trafficking network using sophisticated methods, including cryptocurrency transactions,” it said, highlighting the involvement of Chinese nationals in organised crime networks across Bangladesh.

The report stressed that while the 4,226 Bangladeshi women who obtained Q1 visas to travel to China do not, by themselves, constitute a crime statistic, the number who may have fallen prey to trafficking remains unknown.

“But when the rapid increase in this number is considered alongside the allegations that have come to light, one thing becomes clear: Bangladesh and China-both need to be cautious now,” it added.

IANS