Breaking the cycle of sexual exploitation in Bangladeshi brothel

Bangladesh is home to one of the largest brothels in the world. The daughters of sex workers often have little choice but to follow in their mothers’ footsteps. Local activists are doing what they can to stop this. In the afternoon, the Daulatdia brothel is quiet. Women sit outside their rooms looking at their mobile phones; men transport goods through the narrow alleyways; some children play. Come evening, clients will flock to the area, where gambling and drugs, as well as sexual services, are on offer. The Daulatdia brothel is considered to be one of the biggest in the world, with between 1,300 and 1,500 prostitutes working there. The small town of Daulatdia is a major transport hub, and the brothel is said to have existed since British colonial times. According to NGOs, some 3,000 clients come here each day, many of them passing through on their way to the capital Dhaka, 70km away. The Brahmaputra and Padma rivers converge at Daulatdia. Not so long ago, the only way to cross ...