World · North America · 6 hrs ago
Two Saskatchewan men sentenced for trafficking Bangladeshi woman
Two men were convicted of trafficking a Bangladeshi woman in Saskatchewan and returned to court for sentencing.
The woman came to Canada after being told she would have a restaurant job that could help her stay as a temporary foreign worker.
She was made to work long hours, was not properly paid and did not have the required work permits.
Mohammed Masum was also convicted of three sexual assaults, which a judge described as rapes.
The woman said the abuse left her fearful, struggling to trust others and worried about the impact on her family in Bangladesh.
Both men are now in custody serving sentences, but the sentence lengths are not stated here.
Two Saskatchewan men were sentenced after being convicted of trafficking a woman from Bangladesh.
Mohammed Masum was also convicted of three counts of sexual assault, which the judge described as rape.
The woman said the men had destroyed her life and that she now lives in fear and struggles to trust others.
She came to Saskatchewan after being told she would have a restaurant job that could help her stay in Canada as a temporary foreign worker.
The charges covered a period from Aug. 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, and the article does not state the sentences imposed.
- Who
- Mohammed Masum and Sohel Haider, two Saskatchewan men, were convicted. The victim was a woman from Bangladesh.
- What
- The men were sentenced for human trafficking. Masum was also convicted of three counts of sexual assault.
- When
- They returned to court for sentencing on Thursday. The charges covered Aug. 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
- Where
- Saskatchewan, including restaurants in Gull Lake, Tisdale and Elrose.
- Why
- The woman was brought to Saskatchewan with a promise of restaurant work, but was exploited and not properly paid.
Crown
Masum's defence Haider's defence
Sentence
Crown
Prosecutor Leslie Dunning sought 15 years for Masum and five and a half years for Haider.
Masum's defence Haider's defence
Masum's lawyer sought a total of seven to nine years; Haider's lawyer argued for the four-year mandatory minimum.
Aggravating factors
Crown
Dunning said the men abused positions of trust and authority by controlling virtually every aspect of the woman's life; Masum also sexually assaulted her.
Masum's defence Haider's defence
Haider's lawyer argued there were no aggravating factors warranting a sentence above the minimum.
The period covered by the charges.
The woman worked at restaurants in Gull Lake and Tisdale before receiving a work permit for a restaurant in Elrose.
Masum and Haider were convicted of human trafficking, and Masum was also convicted of three counts of sexual assault.
The men returned to Saskatoon provincial court for sentencing.
- Defendants
- Mohammed (M.D.) Masum, 45, and Sohel Haider, 56
- Charge period
- Aug. 1, 2022–March 31, 2023
- Masum's additional convictions
- Three counts of sexual assault
- Crown's proposed sentence for Masum
- 15 years
- Crown's proposed sentence for Haider
- Five and a half years
- Haider defence request
- Four-year mandatory minimum
What people are saying
I can't forget them. They stopped my dream. They destroyed my life. They ruined my honour, my future, my family, my career
virtually every aspect of her life
for his own sexual gratification
substantial