Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom Penny Mordaunt made the announcement on Monday, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Tuesday. 

The UK will commit extra support in the global fight against forced labour, taking UK spend to over £200 million to help create jobs, strengthen law enforcement, improve recruitment practices so people do not become victims and provide vital protections for those who do.  

UK aid is working to wipe out forced labour, which costs our economy an estimated £4.3 billion a year, at source and prevent onward trafficking to our shores. 

Mordaunt said from the clothes we wear to the food we eat, the insidious virus of forced labour is infiltrating all aspects of our daily life without us even realising. “Not only does it have a huge cost to the global and the UK’s economy, it is a shameful stain on our global conscience that must be eradicated for good.”

“No one nation can banish this borderless crime alone. The international community must collaborate to dismantle predatory trafficking networks, support victims, strengthen justice systems and create sustainable alternative livelihoods,” she said.

The £5 million programme to support the government of Bangladesh to deliver its commitment of eliminating the worst forms of child labour in the country.