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HC Order on Tangail Sex Workers

Religious group now to fight legal battle

Our Correspondent, Tangail
Religious zealots who joined hands under the banner of 'Asamajik Karjokolap Protirodh Committee' (committee to prevent anti-social activities) have suspended their earlier called daylong hartal scheduled to be enforced in the district today.
They had called the hartal protesting recent return of the sex workers to the 200-year-old Kandapara brothel in Tangail town following a High Court (HC) order, five months after their ouster from the place.
At a meeting at the Central Mosque in the town on Monday afternoon, the committee also decided to fight a legal battle for an end to sex trade in the densely populated town and 'proper rehabilitation’ of the sex workers.
Earlier on Friday, Maulana Shamsuzzaman, imam of the mosque,
in his khutba (sermon) before the Juma prayers called for resisting any bid for re-settlement of the brothel.
After the prayers, a procession led by the imam tried to proceed towards the brothel but over a hundred policemen held them back.
Then the imam announced a dawn to dusk hartal in the district for Wednesday (today), demanding that the authorities concerned stop resettlement of the brothel.
He vowed to eliminate sex trade from the spot.
“We have decided to suspend the hartal to avert casualties and loss of property. We honour the High Court and so, we will go to the court for a stay of the order," said Maulana Abdul Aziz, president of Asamajik Karjokolap Protirodh Committee.
Religious zealots under the banner of the committee forced out around
1,500 people, including some 700 sex workers, from the brothel on July 11.
On December 9, Fawzia Karim Firoze, president of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, filed a writ petition with the HC on behalf of the sex workers, seeking directions for their safe living at the brothel.
An HC bench, comprising Justice Quazi Reza-ul-Haque and Justice Abu Taher Mohammad Saifur Rahman, issued a rule nishi directing the secretaries of home and local government ministries, deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Tangail, and president and general secretaries of Asamajik Karjokolap Protirodh Committee, to provide protection for the safe stay of sex workers at Kandapara.
Following the HC order, the evicted sex workers started returning to the brothel on December 15 and many of them rebuilt their demolished houses there.