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The vibrant Daulatdia is re known as a dark beauty of it’s own. Everything exists within a world of its own: markets, beauty salons, bars, music and clubs. Yet for many of the women living there, leaving is almost impossible.
One of them is Chanda who was sold into prostitution at fifteen.She carries the scars of violence. Her room, however, was filled with smiling dolls and posters of film stars — fragments of a childhood and dreams that seemed to belong to another world.
A corticosteroid misused by some women to increase their body size and curves, making them more attractive to customers. A drug also associated with veterinary use becomes, in this world, another tool for survival.
And for a moment, beyond the noise, the drugs, the customers and the walls of Daulatdia, there was simply a young woman trying to survive.
Alcohol and other intoxicants are easily available here. Prices fluctuate depending on the status and gender of the men involved. There are also price disparities among the sex workers themselves; some are granted leave when they give birth. Their children lack access to education and healthcare, yet they possess voting rights—even though they receive no state benefits or entitlements.
More than 2,000 shacks form one of Asia’s largest brothel complexes, where thousands of women live and work. Some enter this life as teenagers. Others are brought there through deception, poverty or trafficking.
Inside Daulatdia, everything exists within a world of its own: markets, beauty salons, bars, music and clubs. Yet for many of the women living there, leaving is almost impossible.
Drug also associated with veterinary use becomes, in this world, another tool for survival.
Many of the women also spoke of dealing with customers who are drunk or under the influence of drugs, some of whom refuse to use condoms, leaving the women exposed to further risks and vulnerability.
And for a moment, beyond the noise, the drugs, the customers and the walls of Daulatdia, there was simply a young woman trying to survive.
Behind the stories the stigma to the human looked beyond the life of the women of vibrant Daulatdia.
Most tragic of all, they find no place in any graveyard or cremation ground; no funeral rites are performed for them. They are buried secretly in remote locations or cast into the river. The uncertain future facing their children often drives them toward a life of crime; most daughters eventually drift into this same profession, while the sons become entangled in various criminal activities.
Once someone enters this profound darkness, they never again touch the light. never again touch the light.
The colorful Daulatdia has it's own a dark pathetic story behind the door.
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Author: Rimi Sardar, Dhaka
