Prostitution in Bangladesh
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Prostitution in Bangladesh is legal. Prostitution was legalized in 2000. [1][2]
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[edit] Policy and Law
Though prostitution is legal in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh constitution provides that the "State Shall endeavor to prevent gambling and prostitution. "Reading the various provisions of different laws, the prostitute is considered a victim, however, despite rigid provisions, the Penal Code provides in the following sections protection to women who are victims of the sexual offences of illicit intercourse, such as:
| “ | Section 364A - Whoever, kidnaps or abducts any person under the age of ten, in order that such a person may be or subjected to slavery or to the lust of any person shall be punished with death or with imprisonment for life or for rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to 14 years and may not be less than 7 years. | ” |
| “ | Section 366A - Whoever, by any means whatsoever, induces any minor girl under the age of eighteen years to go from any place or to do any act with the intent that such a girl may be or knowing that it is likely that she will be, forded or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to fine. | ” |
| “ | Section 373 - Whoever buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession of any person under the ate of eighteen years with the intent that such person shall at any age be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution or illicit intercourse with any person or knowing it likely that such person will at any age be employed or used for such purpose with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend 10 years and fine. Any prostitute or any person keeping or managing a brothel, who buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession of a female under the age of 18 years, shall until the contrary is proved, be presumed to have obtained possession of such female with the intent that she shall be used for the purpose of prostitution. | ” |
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.
[edit] Child Prostitution
An estimated 13,000 children in Bangladesh are prey to the commercial sex industry of the country. More than 20,000 children are born and live in the 18 registered red-light areas of Bangladesh. Children born here live everyday life watching their mothers being exploited and ultimately resigning themselves to the same exploitation. Small children help their mothers in household chores and bring refreshments for their mother's clients. Boys tend to become pimps once they grow up and girls continue in their mothers’ profession. Most girls enter the profession before the age of 12[3][4].
[edit] Male Prostitution
There is a widespread misconception about the issue of prostitution of boys; it is wrongly viewed as an issue related to homosexuality. As a result, prostitution of boys is largely unreported, under-reported or misreported. Prostitution of boys in general is not a new phenomenon and has been manifested in different forms. Parks, streets, markets, railway/bus terminals, hotels, restaurants, and religious establishments are some of the main contact points for sexual exploitation. ECPAT International is working on this issue [5].
[edit] Causes
[edit] Human 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, unscrupulous persons (flesh traders) 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.
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. A huge number of Bangladeshi Women and girls are forced into the brothels of India, Pakistan, Malaysia, UAE and other Asian countries[6].
[edit] Methods and Techniques of Trafficking
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[7], which is comprised of 40 organizations, is working as here on this issue[8].
[edit] AIDS
According to NGO's sex workers and their clients are most at risk form AIDS due to ignorance and lack of public information about unprotected sex.[1][2] [3][4]
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/677280.stm;
- ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/sa/692.htm;
- ^ http://acr.hrschool.org/mainfile.php/0103/20/ Bangladesh's Child Sex Workers: No Place To Go
- ^ http://gvnet.com/childprostitution/Bangladesh.htm ;
- ^ http://www.ecpat.net/eng/publications/Boy_Prostitution/index.asp Situational Analysis Report on Prostitution of Boys in South Asia
- ^ Facts on Trafficking and Prostitution - Bangladesh
- ^ Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
- ^ Trafficking and Prostitution in Bangladesh - Contradictions in Law and Practice, Sigma Huda
[edit] External Links
- Bangladesh says prostitution legal
- South Asia Bangladesh prostitutes up in arms
- Inside the slave trade
- 'I'm just here for survival'
- Prostitution in Bangladesh: An Empirical Profile of Sex Workers
- Commercial Sex Workers In Urban Bangladesh
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