Photo : TDM
Over 12 lakh Rohingyas are sheltered in different camps in Bangladesh, especially in Cox's Bazar, where the refugees are currently passing through a severe socio-economic crisis.
Recently this has resulted into willful prostitution by the attractive and young Rohingya women including some with the greed of easy money, fleeing the camps and joining prostitution in the hotel motel zone.
This is increasing the risk of spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in the coastal district which has become a matter of grave concern of the locals.
According to a highly placed source, the prostitution is being maintained by former Awami League lawmaker for Cox's Bazar-4 constituency Abdur Rahman Badi and his brother Mujibur, the panel mayor of Teknaf municipality, who is said to be one of the major patrons of yaba smuggling.
The number of these Rohingya sex workers has increased alarmingly with a notable hike in the trafficking of Rohingya women and children. The entire trafficking and prostitution are being moderated by local pimps, said to be Badi and his brother's men, who would do anything for money.
'Nongor', a non-government organisation, Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital sources and locals said, “Sexually Transmitted Dieaseas like HIV, Human Papilloma Virus, hepatitis B and genital herpes have increased alarmingly in the district. Besides, they alleged, the Rohingya prostitutes are involved in yaba and arms trade as well.”
An official of the Teknaf police station told The Daily Messenger, local brokers lure young and attractive young Rohingya women to work as sex workers and men as yaba and arms traders promising them of marriage, easy money, and better life, clutching them in the prostitution.
He said, Rohingya people are turning to illicit trade and anti social activities like robbery, drug and arms trafficking, and prostitution due to their inability to find legal employment to meet their needs and other social bindings and limitations as well as out of the greed for easy money.
However, the exact number of Rohingya women engaged in prostitution cannot be presumed accurately, but locals say, the number is no less than 30,000.
He further said one can find, but have to inform the pimps well ahead to fulfil their need of Rohingya prostitute.
Meanwhile, many locals of Teknaf and Cox's Bazar expressed concern saying the presence of Rohingya prostitutes and males increase as the day nears dusk. Female Rohingyas go to their customers in different low-grade hotels and cottages in the Kolatali area, while male ones do their yaba trading in guise of battery-run auto-rickshaw driver, beggar, and tea vendor.
Being curious, the reporter went on physical investigation and found some interesting development.
Just after the Magrib prayers, at around 8pm, a group of 10-12 girls were found roaming together at the beach in front of the Seagull Hotel, and searching for clients, came to the reporter. Replying to the reporter's query, one of the girls said, they have their chosen and fixed hotels at Kolatali.
According to her information, prostitution is now at every low-grade hotels and rest houses.
A local tea stall owner on condition of not being recorded and anonymity said, rohingya prostitution is known to all here. But, nobody talks about it. Many powerful people indicating Badi and his brother, are involved in the racket. Even the government officials and party men are involved too.
“You'll get entangled in their conspiracy very badly if you conduct any more research. Be aware,” they warned.
Another Rohingya girl, involved in prostitution, at the Sayeman beach area said, a syndicate of auto-rickshaw drivers, boys and security guards of hotels and some low-ranking law enforcers are involved in the rohingya prostitution racket, and they are all managed by Mr Mujibur, from fleeing the camp to joining and working as a prostitute.
At one stage, she introduced Sundari (pseudonym) to the reporter. Sundari said, “I ran away from the Kutupalong camp in 2019 with the help of a local pimp named Jahangir. He was about to marry me. But, didn’t do so afterwards”. He was very close to Mujibur,” she added.
She said, the Rohingya girls are not cheap. The rate begins from Tk 5,000 and reaches up to 20,000. About 15% of the flesh money goes to the hotel manager's pocket, while 25% goes for managing the law enforcers and the pimp keeps 15%. But, those, who trade yaba along with carrying out prostitution get more money.
This girl gave information about a tea vendor named Raju and introduced him to the reporter after payment.
Raju said, there are several guest houses, whose business has ran out, now surviving out of the illicit money. The names of our heads and hotels cannot be disclosed.
“If you need, I'll take you there. We've some people, who do different favors to us. These people include government employees and local party men. They get their share.”
After being paid Tk500, he took the reporter to an auto-rickshaw driver, who was a Rohingya and named Amir and his auto didn’t have any permit.
Amir said, the Rohingya prostitutes are locally known as the Bormaiya Girls. They've a huge demand. A client has to give at least a day for managing a Bormaiya.
At Sugondha beach, a pimp named Jihad came with another pimp named Majid, and said, Rohingya girl has been managed. Later, the reporter paid them Tk1,000 and technically fled the scene.
In field investigation and sources said, maximum of the Rohingya prostitutes are aged from 17 to 19 and are forced to have unsafe sex. When there's no client, these girls do household works at the residences of the pimps.
Talking to TDM, Additional Police Super Mohammad Rafiqul Islam said, ”We had arrested many of them (prostitutes and their cohorts) before, and placed them before court. But, they re-engage to their illegal acts after getting out in bail. We conduct operations whenever on tip-off.”
Meanwhile, Cox's Bazar Sadar hospital sources said, prostitution by Rohingyas and unsafe sex has resulted into high number of AIDs and other STDs. Six new cases have been reported last month. A total of 516 people have so far taken treatment from this hospital, while 219 at the Ukhiya hospital. Among these patients nearly 150 are locals. Besides, a total of 131 people have died so far.
A doctor said HIV screening began in the hospital in 2015 but, none of the government or NGOs do not have any statistics regarding those who are still alive with AIDs except for the dead ones. Maximum of the infected ones do not come for treatment or screening. The real number of AIDs patient is gigantic in the area.
In addition, an ex-government high official told the TDM that nobody, by which he meant Rohingyas gets in or out sans Badi and his brother's nod. They control the entire process.
“It is really disappointing. Badi and his brother Mujibur has now taken full control of the prostitution, which ultimately will let them smuggle yaba pills very easily. Many corrupt and unethical law enforcers work for them. It's known to all. But, nobody will open their cakeholes.”
When contacted, Abdur Rahman Badi at first became infuriated and then said claiming a parliamentarian's (which he's not right now) job is not to conduct prostitution. Go ask the law enforcers. The BGB, RAB, DGFI, NSI, Police what are they doing.”
Replying to another question, Badi said, “it's all part of political conspiracy against my family. My wife is the MP. So am I. She's my wife. After-all our religion directs the women to abide by their husbands”.
Talking to the reporter over phone, Mujibur became anxious and said, “kindly meet me. These all are propaganda. A political conspiracy against me.”
In another development, the police super of Cox's Bazar Md Mahfuzul Islam could not comment over phone.
TDM/SD
