Prostitution

In Bangladesh, there are 60,000 -100,000 people in prostitution. (Government, CARE Bangladesh, (Wijaya Kannangara, Executive International Division Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation")

Approximately 1 million men buy prostituted women and children in Bangladesh. (Wijaya Kannangara, Executive International Division Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation")

65 percent of 135 surveyed women and girls in brothels in Bangladesh were between age 11 and 13; 33 percent were between age 13 and 15. (BNWLA survey, police estimates, Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

There are 15,000 to 20,000 children in street prostitution in Dhaka, most of whom are in prostitution before reaching 12 years of age. (BNWLA survey, police estimates, Fawzia Karim Firoze & Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

Bangladeshi women, who have been in prostitution, fear and risk being killed by their own families through honor-killings. (CATW - Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)

The Tanbazar brothel in Narayanganj is a market for the sale of minor girls. At least 50 minors were kept hidden in the brothel, and when discovered, police did not attempt to help the girls imprisoned there or arrest the owners. (Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, "Open sale of little girls at Tanbaza brothel," Daily Star, 2 July 1998)

Policy and Law

Prostitution is legal in Bangladesh. (Wijaya Kannangara, Executive Intenational Division Sarvodaya Movement of Sri Lanka, "Paper on Cultural Violation")

The promotion of Export Processing Zones, which follow special laws on all forms of violence, encourages industries of child prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation. (Fawzia Karim Firoze and Salma Ali of the Bangladesh National Women Layer Association," Bangladesh Country Paper: Law and Legislation")

In Bangladesh, the justice system entitles a sexual offender to a privileged position, which is a major contributor into forcing women into silence. (Sigma Huda, "Laws and Legislation Relating to Sexual Exploitation")

Government and health officials deny services to prostituted women and their children on the sole basis that the woman is in prostitution. ("Govts urged to be more active against trafficking of women, children," Dhaka Daily Star, 30 June 1998)

The Suppression of Immoral Trafficking Act, 1993 provides for punishment for forcing a girl into prostitution. Abetment by having custody or charge of the girls is also a crime. Section 11 of the Act prohibits the detention of any female child under the age of 18 against her will in any house, room or places in which prostitution is carried out. The section provides a penalty of maximum three years of imprisonment or fine or both. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)

There are no statistics on the numbers of prostitutes. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics enumerates them as "destitutes" and does not recognize prostitution as an occupation. The Constitution states that "the State shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling" [Part II, Fundamental Principles of State Policy, Section 18 (2)]. There are laws against forcing anyone into prostitution or into "immoral acts" (Penal Code 72, 73, 74). Soliciting is also against the law (Criminal Procedure Code). However there are no laws against a person of 18 or above engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money. It is sufficient for a prostitute to have an affidavit delivered by a magistrate stating that she is above 18 for her not to be arrested by the Police. That does not preclude harassment and being asked for bribes. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)

Prostitution is technically neither legal nor illegal but exists in a gap in the law, as in many countries. Therefore prostitutes do not have any legal protection, nor can the State take any legal measures against them. As citizens they can demand the same fundamental rights from the State, such as the right to protection and security, the right to shelter and to basic amenities. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)

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. (Bangladesh CEDAW Report, 1 April 1997)