Bangladesh

Is selling sex criminalised?
Selling of sex is legal but associated activities are criminalised. Soliciting in public is illegal (punishable by prison for 1 month or a fine). Keeping a brothel criminalised and brothel defined as any premises where two or more females conduct sex work.
Is buying sex criminalised?
No
Is organising/managing criminalised?
Yes. Keeping a brothel, allowing a premises to used as a brothel, living on the earnings of sex work and procuring a female for purposes of sex work all criminalised (Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act 1993). Also an offence for third parties to import, export, sell or hire a woman for sex work (Oppression of Women and Children (Special Enactment) Act 1995). However, there is a system of quasi-legal brothels operating in Bangladesh. Represents a small portion of sex industry (estimate 4000 brothel based workers out of 100,000 total). Sex workers are certified by local authority, swears an affidavit, pays a fee to police and magistrate issues a certificate.
What other laws are used disproportionately against sex workers?
Yes. Sex workers also arrested for soliciting in public under public nuisance offences (s.290 of Penal Code). Police also arrest sex workers without a warrant under 'suspicious' conditions (s.54 of Code of Criminal Procedure 1898). Male sex workers also charged under sodomy laws.
Is there mandatory HIV/STI testing?
No
Is there mandatory registration?
No, but a system of voluntary registration to work in small sector of quasi-legal brothels. Criticised because this creates a two-tier system of legal and illegal workers. Difficult to find employment in legal brothels. Bonded labour and exploitation reportedly an issue in legal brothels.
If sex work is regulated, is it in line with other work, or are the regulations unfair or overly restrictive?
There is a system of quasi-legal brothels - see entry on organising/managing for info - but is not regulated in line with other work.
Is sex work recognised as work?
No - 'prostitute' can be listed as a profession on a voter identity card but the constitution at the same time says 'prostitution' must be discouraged so not recognised as valid work
Is sex work decriminalised with limited regulation?
No
Sources/further reading
UNDP et al (2012) Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific: Laws, HIV and human rights in the context of sex work, available at http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/hivaids/English/HIV-2012-S… Sexual Rights Initiative Database, available at https://sexualrightsdatabase.org/page/welcome Oppression of Women and Children (Special Enactment) Act 1995 Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act 1933 Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance 1976 The Cantonments Act 1924
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