Khulna: Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Administrator Md. Firoz Sarkar today emphasized the importance of raising awareness to combat human trafficking, describing it as a criminal act that demands exemplary punishment for those involved.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the administrator made these remarks while serving as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of a psychosocial counseling corner at the Urban Health Building on Sher-e-Bangla Road. The event was organized under the ‘Ashshash’ project, supported by KCC and implemented by NGOs Winrock International and Caritas Bangladesh.
The ‘Ashshash’ project, a four-year initiative by Winrock International, is active in ten districts of Bangladesh with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland. In the Khulna region, Caritas Bangladesh implements the project, focusing on the social and economic reintegration of human trafficking survivors. The project provides survivors with psychosocial counseling, healthcare, legal support, skill development, and employment opportunities.
To further these efforts, a psychosocial counseling corner was established on the second floor of the Urban Health Building. KCC Administrator Md. Firoz Sarkar inaugurated the corner by cutting a ribbon and unveiling a plaque. He emphasized the need to raise awareness among underprivileged communities to prevent human trafficking.
The event was presided over by KCC’s Chief Executive Officer Laskar Tajul Islam, with Secretary Sharif Asif Rahman and Civil Surgeon Dr. Mosammat Mahfuza Khatun addressing the gathering as special guests. Winrock International’s Country Representative and Project Director Dipta Rakhshit delivered the welcome speech.
Sheikh Nazmul Islam, Senior Manager of the Ashash project, provided an overview of the counseling corner, while Project Manager Probash Chandra Biswas delivered a goodwill speech. Following the inauguration, Administrator Md. Firoz Sarkar visited the medical services at Khulna City Corporation’s Khalishpur Red Hospital.