In dire straits

Some 300 sex workers of a brothel in Mymensingh city are in need of immediate relief as most are passing days unfed ever since a lockdown had been enforced there to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Appealing for help, they said they no longer have money to pay for food for themselves or their children due to the sudden closure of the brothel in the city's Station Road area. If they were informed beforehand, they could have tried to save up as much as possible, inhabitants of the brothel added.

"We were locked down on March 21; since then we have been completely cut off from rest of the country," said Hasna Begum.

"I have been living here for over 35 years and never have I experienced such a food crisis," said the 50-year-old.

She said there are some 320 sex workers at the brothel, while the total number of population including children is over 500. Some children live with their mothers inside the brothel while others are kept outside in rented houses for their education, said Hasna.

"We are in dire straits… many of us have to support our families back home as well," she said, adding that right before the countrywide lockdown around 50 of them left the brothel. "But the rest of us stuck here are struggling to survive."

Once in a while they are given help, but it is not sufficient.

On March 26, Brac gave relief packs to 320 sex workers there, Each containing 5kg rice, 2kg dal, edible oil and potato.

On Thursday, some students of Government Ananda Mohan College gave 70 relief packets to them, they said. On Saturday, the local ward commissioner handed over relief (3kg rice per person) among 180 sex workers.

Lipi Akter (30) said, "We did receive some aid but it's not enough. I have to take care of my children with the help I get."

Runa Akter, a 35-year-old mother of two, said many socio-cultural and political organisations are distributing relief on the main thoroughfares of the city.

"But we cannot even go there to collect as we are under lockdown," she added.

Lovely Rani, president of brothel-based non-government welfare organisation "Shuktara Kallyan Sangstha", said she has already contacted many government and non-government organisations for help but to no avail.

"The women here do not have any money to buy food. The children are starving… they need immediate help," Lovely Rani pleaded to this correspondent.

Advocate Nazrul Islam Chunnu, convener of Jonoudyog (Mymensingh) that works for human rights and environment, told The Daily Star that these working women also deserve equal rights, especially in difficult times like these.

Contacted, Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer of Mymensingh Sadar, said, "We will arrange a special relief package for them soon."