Home to over 1,000 sex workers, Rajbari’s Daulatdia is one of the largest brothels in the world,
Children born in these brothels grow up without knowing their fathers and are consequently unable to register for National Identity Cards (NID) or birth certificates, indispensable documents when it comes to registering for schools or applying for jobs.
According to Daulatdia Nari Oikkha Shangathan activist Jhumur Begum, there are currently around 1,400 sex workers and 400 children in Daulatdia, a brothel sprawling over an entire village.
NIDs and birth certificates require the identity of the father during registration, which children growing up in brothels do not know.
Hence, when the children come of age, they are deprived of the documents, which leads them to face a host of difficulties while applying at educational institutions or getting jobs.
Moreover, many get drawn into criminal activities while some choose the path of prostitution.
“I did not have a regular childhood,” a 14-year-old boy wishing to remain anonymous told Dhaka Tribune.
He said that while he was able to study at a safe home run by the NGO Karmajibi Kalyan Sangstha, he found it futile.
“What is the point of studying? We don’t have NIDs and won’t get jobs without them,” he said.
Rajbari Election Commission Officer Masudur Rahman said that top officials of the district had recently met with Dhaka officials on the issue.
“We are trying to find a way to resolve the NID issue of sex workers,” he added, saying that he was hopeful of a solution.
Meanwhile, Goalanda UNO Azizul Haque Mamun said that the Election Commission was working on the matter.
