Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›Asia›China warns citizens in Bangladesh against using illeg…
China warns citizens in Bangladesh against using illegal bride brokers
The Chinese embassy said Bangladesh law can impose at least seven years in prison and fines for human trafficking, with harsher penalties possible up to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
China’s embassy in Bangladesh has warned Chinese citizens against traveling to the South Asian country to find a bride through brokers or matchmaking agencies, saying the activity could lead to arrest on human trafficking suspicions, according to a social media post reported by SCMP Economy.
The embassy said a human trafficking conviction under Bangladeshi law carries a minimum sentence of seven years in prison plus a fine of at least 500,000 taka, with potential maximum penalties that can include life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
SCMP Economy also reported that the embassy linked the rise of “bride-buying” to China’s severe gender imbalance, citing Bangladesh-related concerns around extortion and physical danger, and it noted Bangladesh’s black market for such services has expanded partly due to the imbalance, with the embassy pointing to an estimated 17.5 million more men of marriageable age than women based on Bangladesh’s 2020 national census.
The embassy said international marriages should be based on mutual consent and genuine affection, and it warned that less severe trafficking-related offences, such as instigating trafficking, can still carry prison terms of three to seven years with fines up to 20,000 taka, SCMP Economy reported.