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'They destroyed my life': 2 Sask. men imprisoned for exploiting woman
from Bangladesh

   Hannah Spray
   | CBC News | Posted: October 22, 2026 11:44 PM | Last Updated:
   October 22

   Mohammed Masum, Sohel Haider sentenced for human trafficking

   Image | human trafficking trial

   Caption: Sohel Haider, left, and Mohammed Masum pay for parking
   in front of Saskatoon provincial court on Wednesday, June 3,
   2026. They are now both in custody serving sentences for human
   trafficking. (Hannah Spray/CBC)
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   Warning: this story references sexual assault.
   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.
     * 2 Sask. restaurant operators convicted of trafficking woman
       from Bangladesh

   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.
     __________________________________________________________

   If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that
   of others around you, please call 911. If you're affected by
   family or intimate partner violence, you can look for help
   through crisis lines and local support services. ​

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