Saturday, Bangladesh’s sex workers demanded rights and their inclusion in country’s mainstream development, reports BSS.

They made the demand at the National Conference of Sex-workers- 2014 at the city’s Kazi Bashir auditorium at Mohanagar Natyamanch jointly organised by Durjoy Nari Sangha and Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition.

Bangladesh Legal Aids Services Trust (BLAST) Executive Director Sara Hossain, president of Sex-workers Network of Bangladesh Hena Akhter, country director of Save the Children, Bangladesh Nyar Iqbal, and President of Durjoy Nari Sangha Rahima Begum also spoke, among others.

“There are 78 thousand 300 sex-workers across the country and 41 per cent of them are floating, 54 per cent are working in different brothels and 5 per cent are working at hotels,” said HIV AIDS Programme Manager of the Save the Children Moushumi Amin in her key note paper.

Barrister Sara Hossain said, “Sex workers remain neglected in the society till now and are deprived of their due facilities …there is no proper rehabilitation system for them after any eviction.”

At least 700 sex-workers across the country joined the conference, where they demanded a separate law for them to ensure their rights in the society.

SOURCE