Sex workers are leaving town!

Revenues have decreased due to the Corona epidemic. Paying rent, eating, and using everything has become difficult. For this reason, sex workers are leaving the country’s sex villages. Some try to get another job. But most of them work as floating sex workers.

Sex workers say they can send money home after eating at normal hours. However, at present, due to the low number of clients in the sex villages, they have to live by half. I can’t rent a room, I can’t support the family. So they are leaving the sex village.

On December 4, National 999 Emergency Service, a young woman from Ramesh Sen Road sex village in Mymensingh called and said they wanted to leave the sex village. The Mymensingh Kotwali police later rescued them. The two young women had been in town for about a year and a half. One of them lived in Noakhali and the other in a poor neighborhood in Mirpur. After going to the sex village, he became Mao. The police rescued them that day and handed them over to the Dhaka train according to their wishes. The two arrived in Dhaka and went to a relative’s home in Mirpur.

One of the young women said the sex village was closed for several days after the crown began. Since then, the number of clients has dropped. You have to send money home. He is not currently winning, so he will not stay on the field. However, it is not easy to get out of there. The village chief did not let them out. So he left with the help of the police. They both came to this town through a corridor.

When asked what he would do now in Dhaka, he said: “I will work in a garment factory.”

Mymensingh Kotwali (ASI) Police Station Deputy Inspector Al Amin, who rescued the two girls, told the Bengali Tribune: They surrender to the train according to their wishes. When they arrived in Dhaka, they called and said that they had both arrived correctly.

The number of workers is declining from the country’s 11 sex villages

The non-governmental organization Society for the Environment and Human Development (SED) conducted a survey to determine the number of sex workers in 2016-17. According to the survey, some 4,000 girls work in 11 sex villages in the country. Speaking with sex workers, sardars and NGO workers working in different sex villages, it has been known that sex workers are leaving these sex villages due to declining income due to the crown effect.

The largest sex village in the country is Daulatdia. About 1,500 sex workers live here during normal times. However, its population has decreased due to the Corona epidemic. There are currently around 1,050 sex workers. However, there are some others who used to do this job, now they have given up due to age.

Mukti Mahila Samiti works with the workers of this sex village. Its executive director is Morzina Begum. He told the Bengali Tribune: ‘Because of Corona, many went on vacation and never returned. However, it does not have more than one variant of the number. Because there are more sex workers here permanently. ‘

He said: ‘There is currently a financial crisis, everyone is suffering. In some ways, sex workers are like eating themselves. There’s no way anyone is sending money home. ‘

A search of several other sex villages in the country found similar images. Many sex workers have left one village and taken refuge in another. Morzina said that someone came to Dhaka and worked as a floating sex worker.

The situation is almost the same for sex workers in the sex villages of Jamalpur, Tangail, Faridpur Rathkhola, Faridpur C&B, Patuakhali, Bagerhat, Khulna Banishant, Jessore Babubazar, Mymensingh Ramesh Sen Road and Jessore Marua Mandir. Many have left the field due to declining income.

Mymensingh Ramesh Sen Road sex village has 210 to 220 sex workers during normal hours. But thanks to Corona, there are now about 150 sex workers, said the village head, Sophia.

An organization called Shakti Unnayan Sangha works with workers from the Marua Mandir sex village. Its editor is Rani Begum. He told the Bengali Tribune: ‘There are 200/160 sex workers here in normal time. But since Corona started, sex workers have disappeared. At least 25/30 sex workers have left Corona. There are currently 140 people including adults. Since there are no clients, they sell loans and jewelry and take their children. Many children are brought up in different places, and now they too are in trouble. Sex workers are struggling to make ends meet. ‘

Sex workers no longer come on vacation

Many of the Sardarnis’ sex workers have left the village saying they are going home on vacation and will not return. Some also leave the sex village with the help of the police.

Monju Begum has been working with the sex workers of the Patuakhali sex village for a long time. The name of your organization is Shakti Nari Sangha. He told the Bengali Tribune: ‘Many girls left town because of Corona. But now that it is normal, it has reappeared. How long can you not eat? What to eat at home? Then the stomach is pulling again. Many are still on vacation. Many have moved to other villages. That’s the way it is. ‘

There are currently about 130/135 sex workers in this village. However, he said that 150/160 people do it in normal time.

Sex workers floating in misery

The sex workers floating in the crown are also in trouble. They were not allowed to stand in different areas of Corona. Kajal Akhter, director of Akshay Nari Sangha, an organization that works with floating sex workers, said many resorted to begging due to a shortage of clients.

He told the Bengali Tribune: ‘I called in many places but couldn’t do much for the floating sex workers. I got help in private. During the first two months in Corona, the sex workers floating in the Narayanganj area were assisted with rice and legumes. However, it is currently closed.

Government allocations are inadequate

During the shutdown, government assistance was provided to residents of 11 sex villages in the country. But it was very inappropriate. Cooperation has occurred only once in one town, more than once in another place. The first four months have also been co-sponsored by private companies. But then there is no cooperation.

Rani Begum, editor of Shakti Unnayan Sangha, which works with sex workers, said the district administration had once given rice to the sex village on Ramesh Sen Road in Mymensingh. He said this help was given at the beginning. Subsequently, some aid materials have also been delivered to private initiatives. However, there is currently no cooperation.

The workers of the Daulatdia sex village received rice once officially. However, several non-governmental organizations have cooperated during the shutdown. Morzina Begum, executive director of Mukti Mahila Samiti, a local organization that works with sex workers, said they had received good cooperation. “Now that everything is normal, aid is off,” he said.

If you want to know the government’s initiative in this regard, the Minister of State for Social Welfare. Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru told the Bengali Tribune: ‘Sex workers have received food since the start of the lockdown. It will now be re-administered if necessary elsewhere. They have also been privately co-sponsored. They also receive grants for various projects. Sex workers will be assisted even if they are informed locally if someone has a personal need.