Prostitution in Bangladesh
Encyclopedia
Prostitution in Bangladesh is legal, however the Bangladesh
constitution provides that the "State shall endeavor to prevent gambling and prostitution." Prostitution was legalized in 2000.
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated in 2004 that there were 10,000 underage girls used in commercial sexual exploitation in the country, but other estimates placed the figure as high as 29,000.
Many girls involved in child labour, such as working in
factories and as domestic workers are raped or sexually exploited, these girls are highly stigmatised and many of them flee to escape such abuse, but often they find that prostitution is the only option open to them for survival—once in prostitution they become even more marginalized.
More than 20,000 children are born and live in the 18 registered red-light areas of Bangladesh. Boys tend to become pimps once they grow up and girls continue in their mothers’ profession. Most of these girls enter the profession before the age of 12.
Disabled children who live in institutions and children displaced
as a result of natural disasters such as floods are highly susceptible to commercial sexual exploitation.
Girls are often sold by their families to brothels for a period of two to three years of bonded sex work. Visits to the brothels of Faridpur
and Tangail
in 2010 revealed that most sex workers there take or are made to take the steroid drug dexamethason to gain weight and to look better.
The authorities generally ignore the minimum age of 18, often circumvented by false statements of age, for legal female prostitution; the government rarely prosecutes procurers of minors.
Police estimate more than 15,000 women and children are smuggled out of Bangladesh every year. Bangladesh and Nepal are the main sources of trafficked children in South Asia. Bangladeshi women and girls are forced into the brothels of India, Pakistan, Malaysia, UAE and other Asian countries.
Forms of trafficking include fake marriages, sale by parents to "uncles" offering jobs, auctions to brothel owners or farmers, abduction. Traffickers and procurers pose as prospective husbands to impoverished families. They take the girls away and sell them into prostitution. A large number of "brides" have been collected in this manner and brought as a group to Pakistan where they are handed over to local traffickers.
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women - Bangladesh, which comprises 40 organizations, is working as here on this issue.
due to ignorance and lack of public information about unprotected sex.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
constitution provides that the "State shall endeavor to prevent gambling and prostitution." Prostitution was legalized in 2000.
Policy and law
Prostitution is legal in Bangladesh, but the Bangladesh constitution provides that the "State shall endeavor to prevent gambling and prostitution." Various provisions of different laws prohibit child prostitution and forced prostitution:Child prostitution
Child prostitution is widespread and a serious problem. The majority of Bangladeshi prostituted children are based in brothels, with a smaller number of children exploited in hotel rooms, parks, railway and bus stations and rented flats.The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated in 2004 that there were 10,000 underage girls used in commercial sexual exploitation in the country, but other estimates placed the figure as high as 29,000.
Many girls involved in child labour, such as working in
factories and as domestic workers are raped or sexually exploited, these girls are highly stigmatised and many of them flee to escape such abuse, but often they find that prostitution is the only option open to them for survival—once in prostitution they become even more marginalized.
More than 20,000 children are born and live in the 18 registered red-light areas of Bangladesh. Boys tend to become pimps once they grow up and girls continue in their mothers’ profession. Most of these girls enter the profession before the age of 12.
Disabled children who live in institutions and children displaced
as a result of natural disasters such as floods are highly susceptible to commercial sexual exploitation.
Girls are often sold by their families to brothels for a period of two to three years of bonded sex work. Visits to the brothels of Faridpur
Faridpur Sadar Upazila
Faridpur Sadar is an Upazila of Faridpur District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It contains Faridpur Town near the banks of the Padma River.-Geography:...
and Tangail
Tangail
Tangail is a town in Tangail District located in central region of Bangladesh. It consists of 5 corporations, 8 municipalities, 72 wards, 211 mahallas. It is located on the banks of Louhajang River, and is part of the Dhaka Division.-Education:...
in 2010 revealed that most sex workers there take or are made to take the steroid drug dexamethason to gain weight and to look better.
The authorities generally ignore the minimum age of 18, often circumvented by false statements of age, for legal female prostitution; the government rarely prosecutes procurers of minors.
Violence against prostitutes
While laws relating to violence against women, including rape, apply equally to prostitutes, in practice they are discriminated against as they will be classified as 'habituated' to sexual intercourse and proof will be considered to be harder to give/accept. Prostitutes are often subjected to harassment and violence from the Police who are theoretically supposed to protect their rights.Human trafficking
Unwed mothers, orphans, and others outside the normal family support system are the most vulnerable to human trafficking. Government corruption greatly facilitates the process of trafficking. Police and local government officials often ignore trafficking in women and children for commercial sexual exploitation and are easily bribed by brothel owners and pimps. Women and children are trafficked both internally and internationally. International criminal gangs conducte some of the trafficking; the border with India is loosely controlled, especially around Jessore and Benapole, which makes illegal border crossings easy.Police estimate more than 15,000 women and children are smuggled out of Bangladesh every year. Bangladesh and Nepal are the main sources of trafficked children in South Asia. Bangladeshi women and girls are forced into the brothels of India, Pakistan, Malaysia, UAE and other Asian countries.
Methods and techniques of trafficking
The Constitution states that each individual is entitled to choose her own profession/occupation or trade. Taking advantage of the vulnerability of the poverty-stricken or opportunity seeking people, traffickers either coerce, entice, lure or sell minors and other gullible persons into prostitution. They make them execute affidavits in front of false magistrates/impersonators stating that they have gone into prostitution of their own volition and they are over 18 years old.Forms of trafficking include fake marriages, sale by parents to "uncles" offering jobs, auctions to brothel owners or farmers, abduction. Traffickers and procurers pose as prospective husbands to impoverished families. They take the girls away and sell them into prostitution. A large number of "brides" have been collected in this manner and brought as a group to Pakistan where they are handed over to local traffickers.
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women - Bangladesh, which comprises 40 organizations, is working as here on this issue.
HIV/AIDS
According to NGO's sex workers and their clients are most at risk form AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
due to ignorance and lack of public information about unprotected sex.
See also
- Prostitution in IndiaProstitution in IndiaIn India, prostitution is legal only in metro cities like Mumbai but illegal in other parts of the country., but a number of related activities, including soliciting in a public place, keeping a brothel, pimping and pandering, are outlawed.-History:In ancient India, there was a practice of having...
- Prostitution in PakistanProstitution in PakistanProstitution in Pakistan is a taboo culture of sex-trade that exists as an open secret but illegal. Prostitution is largely based in organisational setups like brothels or furthered by individual call girls in the Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. The sex trade is deemed illegal in the...
- Prostitution in the United Arab EmiratesProstitution in the United Arab EmiratesProstitution in the United Arab Emirates is illegal, but attracts many foreign businessmen as the UAE is slowly gaining a reputation as one of the Middle East's sex tourism destinations...