Sex Slaves of Bangladesh
"It's a very bad world," says a Bangladeshi woman as she lowers her head. "I wish I was not alive." This young woman is one of many such females who are confined within the walls of Daulatdia, the largest brothel in Bangladesh. These victims of sexual slavery number in the thousands. A vast majority of them are underage and have been sold into slavery while the local authorities look the other way.
Others find themselves imprisoned by the life of a prostitute because they have no other options in a country that otherwise offers them little opportunity. Thousands of male customers frequent the brothel on a daily basis, and the girls are stripped of their voice, their free will, or any empowerment or assistance in shaping their own destiny. "Men just come here, give me money, have their fun, and then leave," another Bangladeshi woman proclaims. "I don't have anyone here who loves me."
The new documentary Sex Slaves of Bangladesh, produced by VICE News, goes inside the walls of Daulatdia, and uncovers an environment rife with emotional and sexual abuse, human trafficking, rampant drug use, and unsanitary housing. The girls are injected with a steroid which makes them fuller-bodied, and in many cases, masks the appearance of their underage status. Their pimps are mostly women, or madams, who take most of what they earn.
The Muslim country of Bangladesh outlaws gambling, drugs and alcohol, and activities like sex before marriage are severely frowned upon. The country's laws dictate strict punishments and penalties for human trafficking and the exploitation of underage prostitutes. Yet, Daulatdia is allowed to operate with impunity. This is partly the result of tradition. Dautatdia is owned by one of the region's most powerful families, and the facility has been operating since the British colonial period. But perhaps the larger reason lies is monetary in nature; the sex industry in Bangladesh is highly profitable and lines the pockets of many of the area's most influential residents.
Sex Slaves of Bangladesh provides a harrowing look inside a world where girls as young as twelve aren't afforded the most basic of human rights, and the corrupted system which fails to act in the face of their degradation and torment.
I had quite a positive experience visiting Dhaka around 2004. That said, people live on meat and rice there (notably challenging for myself as a vegetarian; I had to compromise my values in order to share meals there) and worship one God. There is no goddess, quite like Christianity. The divine feminine is not recognized in their religion. As much as I appreciate many things about the Muslim religion and most especially the Muslim moon-based calendar, the elimination of the divine feminine from their mythos inevitably has led to problems similar to the ones that we face in the United States. The hypocrisy of Patriarchy. "You should be ashamed of yourself for having sex with me, but you have to have sex with me anyways and you have no choice." To be a woman is to be born into shame, period. What a toxic belief system, which brings only emotional poverty and misery.
What makes this more tragic is as long as there are men who don't feel an ounce of remorse this will NEVER STOP. This happens everywhere..maybe here it's more in the open but sex trafficking happens in the UK , America, Scandinavia...India Thailand. It simply will never stop
very sad seeing this horrible and mistreated women and children in this place. Cant believe prostitution is legal in Bangladesh and its a Muslim country!!!! and the authority is turning a blind eyes because the business is owned by a powerful family! I feel sad for those girls, children and women who have been brought here against their will and trapped all their lives in this place. The Arab countries that is rich like the Gulf should donate money to open school in the villages for free to educate poor children and girls and the authority should give free vocational skill training so these girls and women could find a decent job.
Very Sad Story!
These girls and women should not have to live in such an awful environment, but until the government steps in and criminalizes the madams, johns and provides better opportunities for employment I do not forsee any change for these sex workers.
Meanwhile USA and others send of $1/2 million missiles to blow up a truck or kill a few people. ..Make sense to me.
What a backward society, like so many former colonized countries. I bet if the British had stayed, it would be a better place today. Same with places like Madagascar, if they had not "declared" their independence things would be better......seems to me anyway.
What would Gandhi be thinking of this countrymen?
The British are the reason that Daulatia came into existence in the first place. Maybe you should watch the video again...
Such an awful existence for these lovely women and children , why are they not helped out by the Government , and why are the men not prosecuted for their abuses of these vulnerable and children.
Its worldwide spreaded since always
devastating and so sad; the men as well, neither see nor understand that they are also destroying themselves. Madams and Brokers (completely inappropriate titles) do not 'see' impact or effect and perpetuate the business models that 'anything one does for money is just business', they do not need to consider results or ethics. (Sound familiar?). In it's deepest place this is a lost lesson. 1. That just because you can think about or imagine something, doesn't mean you have to 'do' it. Somethings are better 'for you' if they are not done! and 2. That greed without ethics or any relationship to responsibility is NOT good business practice and needs criminalization with 'teeth'. What is not said here, is that these exact degradations, while hidden in different ways, is worldwide, and a manifestation of the loss of self control (very poor lack in judgement) and greed. We can criminalize greed, and it does make a difference; if the perpetrators can no longer make a good living, they will stop the trafficking. We can not criminalize bad judgement, poor impulsivity control, but we can start to have conversations about it - with boys and girls before puberty; we can prevent, by teaching skills in impulse control, and delaying gratification, with very young children. We can, perhaps, re-humanize humanity, and remember and embrace the preciousness and intrinsic value of each life. Tall order? For sure. What else can we do if we want a planet worth living on. One more level of environmental cleanup in my opinion.
"We can not criminalize bad judgement, poor impulsivity control"
Its about time it should be. Too much mollycoddling. We a** kiss criminals, we pay them from our pockets, victims are to blame, and yeah, why not conversate with them, it helps.... It helps ur brain to remain a veggie....