Tangail Islamists oppose return of sex workers

Islamists in Tangail will enforce a full day hartal in the district on December 24 protesting resettlement of the sex workers at the 200-year-old Kandapara brothel in the town after a High Court order, four months after their eviction from the place.

They made the announcement at a rally in front of the Central Mosque in the town after Juma prayers yesterday, and vowed to eliminate sex trade there at any cost. Over a hundred police personnel held back several hundred Islamists who tried to head towards the brothel and attack the sex workers.

Earlier, Imam of the mosque Maulana Shamsuzzaman in his "khutba" (sermons) said as Muslims it was their religious duty to protest against sex trade and urged the people of Tangail to resist any bid to re-establishment of the brothel.

“The brothel, situated in the middle of the densely-populated traditional town, was a den of unethical activities, drug trade and criminals. Poor and helpless girls including the under-aged were sold at the brothel, and they were forced into sex trade by some influential outsiders,” he said.

Religious zealots under the banner of Asamajik Karjokolap Protirodh Committee (AKPC) evicted around 1,500 residents of the brothel, including 700 sex workers, on July 11.

On December 9, Fawzia Karim Feroze, president of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, filed a writ petition with the High Court on behalf of the sex workers, seeking directions for their safe living at the brothel.

Following the HC order, the evicted sex workers started returning to the brothel on Monday, and the number of the returnees rose to over 150 by yesterday.