China’s embassy in Bangladesh has joined a number of Chinese diplomatic missions warning the country’s citizens about using illegal matchmaking services to find brides.
Anyone who goes to the South Asian country to find a wife using brokers or agencies could face arrest on suspicion of human trafficking, the embassy said in a social media post on Tuesday.
Under Bangladeshi law, a human trafficking conviction carries a minimum sentence of seven years in prison plus a fine of at least 500,000 taka (US$4,100), though the punishment can be as severe as life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
Less severe offences related to trafficking, such as instigating the crime, carry penalties of three to seven years behind bars, with a fine of up to 20,000 taka.
There had been a spike in cross-border marriage scams involving Chinese nationals, the embassy said.
International marriages must be built on mutual consent and genuine affection, the embassy said, adding that bride-buying often led to financial extortion and physical danger.
Beijing is growing increasingly concerned over the international matchmaking market, which is outlawed in China.