Two Bangladeshis jailed 14 and 4 years in Saskatoon for trafficking and abusing a woman lured with promise of life in Canada

A Canadian court has jailed two Bangladeshi men for human trafficking, labour exploitation and sexual abuse of a Bangladeshi woman lured with promises of a work permit and permanent residence in Canada. Mohammad Masum was sentenced to 14 years and Sohel Haider to four years.

Canadian outlets CBC News and CTV reported that Judge Miguel Martinez of the provincial court in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, delivered the verdict on October 22. Under the ruling, Masum was convicted on three counts of human trafficking and sexual assault, while Haider received four years for human trafficking.

According to evidence presented in court, the woman, who had held a government job in Bangladesh for about 18 years, came to Canada hoping for restaurant work and a future chance to settle permanently. From August 2022 to March 2023 she worked at restaurants in the Gull Lake and Tisdale areas of Saskatchewan.

According to the allegations and the court's observations, she was forced to work long hours six days a week. She was not paid proper wages, and uncertainty was created over her work permit.

At one stage Masum kept the woman's passport in his own possession and sexually abused her multiple times. These offences were proven in court.

Later, after moving with a work permit to a restaurant in the Elrose area, the woman managed to escape the exploitative situation with help from several local people. She then took legal assistance.

Alongside the prison terms, the court ordered Masum to pay the victim C$12,268 in unpaid wages and Haider to pay C$5,885.16.

In her statement to the court, the woman said the incident had severely damaged her life, dignity, future, family and professional life. She is mentally distressed and no longer feels comfortable trusting others as before.

The court has imposed a publication ban to keep the victim's identity confidential in the case.