Taslima was sold to the Doulatdia brothel when she was 13 and the woman who bought her used a notary to record her as an adult showing her as a 19 year old.
There are many like Taslima and they are forced to take fattening pills. In this trade, age matters and once a girls gets older, her demand falls.
As per information given by human rights workers, there are few thousand underage sex workers in the brothels of the country. Law stipulates ten year punishment and fines if an underage girl is forced into prostitution.
After the arrest of Papia, the ousted Jubo League leader, the matter is being discussed. It was found that Papia forced women to be prostitutes.
President of Jiboner Alo Nari Sangha, Shahnaz Begum said: “Forced prostitution is seen in the red light areas and when a madam in a city forces women to engage in sex. In this work, false affidavits of age are given. The government is equivocal about sex workers and if someone willingly accepts this profession then no one has the right to stop it.”
Child law states that an underage person cannot be forced into prostitution and if someone is found to force a child into this trade, then that person will face five years behind bars plus Tk. 100,000 fine.
Unfortunately, this law is not being adhered to.
Barrister Abdul Halim, added: “As per law of 1860, selling or buying of an underage person for prostitution will be punishable by 10 years in prison and monetary fines; in case of coercion, there is the provision for imprisonment and fines.”