Bangladesh is a south Asian country which apart from its beautiful nature is tainted with grave secrets which the world should know about.
The matter which i am talking about today is teenage prostitution in Bangladesh.
Kandapara brothel of Tangail is an official brothel that is endowed with sex workers who are mostly of tendered age and belonging to poor social class. This brothel has more than 850 rooms which is the house of more than 1000 prostitutes. It has become like a life long imprisonment for them, which has become the everlasting story for them.
Their rates are as low as 1$, so that they can attract more customers daily. One prostitute of Kandapara brothel has to serve at least 10/15 customers to satisfy their brokers who take the pleasure seeking people into those small dark rooms to make their ends meet.
As the customers seek healthy prostitutes, the demand for chubby and healthy girls can be easily contemplated. These poor teen prostitutes suffer from malnutrition and their basic needs are not met. Therefore they take drugs , such as oradexon which helps to gain weight but bring different physical problems as well. It increases hunger. This drug is used for the purpose of fatten the cattles by the farmers. Its a misery that, they are talking these drugs just to meet their foods of three times.
“When I first took a customer; I didn’t realise what was going to happen. He raped me again and again. It was bleeding severely and I was crying. I didn’t have any idea what sex is,” said Hashi, who has been working as a prostitute since she was 10.
Maya, Hashi and other fellow teen prostitutes cried and described their miserable life which they have to lead! Sometimes the customers tortures them physically and mentally. The brokers take 80% of the money and the girls are given nominal amount to somehow eat and survive!
Now I would like to mention about the biggest brothel of Bangladesh, which is in Daulatdia. It has a number of more than 1700 prostitues. More than 3500 people have sex in Daulatdia brothel daily. People come here to have sex with girls who are specially under 12 years of age.
This place us so big that it has even created its own economy. Prostitutes charge less than 3$ in Daulatdia and their life standard is miserable. The children of older prostitutes are forced to take the occupation of prostitution as people do not accept them due to social stigma. The children of these prostitute families do not have the right to take admission in the normal schools, rather they have to study in a special school instituted for the children of the prostitutes. The lives of these children are nipped in the bud.
The Government of Bangladesh needs to take necessary actions to ban child/teen prostitution and secure the life standard what they deserve. This human right violation can not be allowed to run longer. Therefore i request the international human rights organizations and conscious citizens of the world to address this problem and help these children to secure a better life! 