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A Bangladeshi woman who was trafficked and exploited by two men in Saskatchewan — and repeatedly raped by one of them — says she now lives in fear and struggles to trust anyone.
“I can’t forget them. They stopped my dream. They destroyed my life. They ruined my honour, my future, my family, my career,” the woman wrote in her victim impact statement.
Mohammed (M.D.) Masum, 45, and Sohel Haider, 56, were convicted earlier this year of human trafficking and returned to Saskatoon provincial court on Thursday for their sentencing.
Masum was also found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, for actions that the judge classified “in clearer and simpler layman’s language” as rapes. The victim’s identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban.
Even though her name has not been published, she said in her victim impact statement that the gossip in her home community in Bangladesh has affected her family’s honour and ruined her siblings’ futures.
The woman said she used to be independent and self-sufficient, but now depends on others for support and struggles with that. She questions her decision to come to Canada, where she felt like a product being sold to a customer.
The charges covered a period between Aug. 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. The woman came to Saskatchewan after being told she would have a job in a restaurant that would help her stay in the country as a temporary foreign worker.
She worked first at a restaurant Haider operated in Gull Lake, then she was sent to Tisdale to work in a restaurant operated by Masum. They did not have the proper work permits for her, but said they were working on it. She was not properly paid and was forced to work long hours, six days a week.
When she finally received a work permit, it was for a different restaurant in Elrose. Shortly after arriving there, the woman fled with the help of some people who had become concerned about her.
Trust violated, Crown argues
Human trafficking carries a mandatory minimum sentence of four years in prison.
Crown prosecutor Leslie Dunning argued that Masum’s crimes — one count of human trafficking and three counts of sexual assault — called for a total sentence of 15 years in prison, and Haider should be sentenced to five and a half years for the human trafficking.
Dunning argued both offenders were in positions of trust and authority over the woman, and they violated that trust by controlling “virtually every aspect of her life” after she came to Saskatchewan.
In addition, Masum exploited the woman “for his own sexual gratification” in a series of sexual assaults, including some that involved physical violence, Dunning argued.
Masum’s lawyer Zachary Carter argued for a total sentence of seven to nine years, suggesting that is still a “substantial” sentence.
Haider’s lawyer Chris Gratton argued for the mandatory minimum of four years, arguing there was an absence of aggravating factors that would push the sentence higher than the minimum, which is itself a significant sentence.
Restitution ordered
Judge Miguel Martinez delivered his sentencing decision late Thursday afternoon.
He agreed with Gratton that Haider should serve the mandatory minimum sentence of four years.
For Masum, the judge imposed a total sentence of 14 years.
He also ordered both men to pay restitution to the victim for wages owed to her. Haider was ordered to pay $5,885.16 and Masum was ordered to pay $12,268.
