Bangladesh is one of the few Muslim countries in the world where prostitution is legal in brothels. The Kandapala Brothel in Tanger District is the oldest and second largest brothel in the country-it has been around for about 200 years.
It was demolished in 2014 but was rebuilt with the help of local NGOs. Many women were born there and grew up there, and when it disappears, it is not known where these prostitutes can go.
Proponents of brothels believe that sex work is also work-and these women don't want to do other things. Women themselves demonstrated for their rights as workers, so at the end of 2014, the Bangladesh National Association of Women Lawyers convinced the high court that expelling sex workers was an illegal act. The sex workers soon returned to their homes.
Today, the "brothel district" in the area is surrounded by walls. In the narrow streets, there are food stalls, tea houses and street vendors.
A brothel is a place with its own rules and levels of power, which is completely different from mainstream society. For example, in a brothel, women are weak but also strong. The most vulnerable stage is when young women enter the brothel.
Many people come from poor families, or married and ran away from their husbands when they were children. They belong to others, are heavily in debt, are not allowed to go out, and they are not allowed to save money. When they paid off all their debts, they became independent sex workers. Then, they can reject the customer and keep their money. From the moment a woman pays off her debt, she is free to leave the brothel. However, these women are discriminated against by society outside their "home", so they often choose to stay and continue to support their families with their income.
