Staff Reporter :
Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Dr Mizanur Rahman on Thursday demanded recognition to the sex workers until they are rehabilitated.
“The state did nothing in the last 44 years for the welfare of the sex workers, defying their constitutional rights,” he said at a seminar.
NHRC along with some NGOs organized the seminar on the life and livelihood of the sex workers at the Senate Bhaban of the University of Dhaka. Regarding the sex workers rights, Dr Mizan said the Article 18 of the Constitution mentioned that the state should take effective measures to eradicate prostitution, but the state did nothing in the last 44 years.
“If we don’t like prostitution, we have to arrange employment for them. It is the state’s responsibility to rehabilitate the sex workers. As long as we are unable to rehabilitate them, we have to recognize their rights,” he said.
As regards the sex workers plight, he said, “They are always being harassed by different quarters. They are repressed but they are not getting legal protection from the society,” he said.
Mentioning the Article 42 of the Constitution, the NHRC Chairman said everybody has the right to possess properties, but some influential people are grabbing the sex workers’ properties, taking advantage of the inaction of the state machinery.
“The sex workers are deprived of their fundamental rights. Why should the Police harass them? They are not to blame for their present condition, it is the failure of the society, state and government, which could not ensure their rights,” he said.
Regarding the status of the sex workers’ children, Dr Mizan said they were not illegal. “A baby cannot be illegal. It is the failure of the state that it cannot rehabilitate them,” he said.
Rights activist Khushi Kabir, Shipra Goswami, Professor Ferdous Azim and Professor Helaluddin Khan Afrin also spoke on the occasion, among others.
Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Dr Mizanur Rahman on Thursday demanded recognition to the sex workers until they are rehabilitated.
“The state did nothing in the last 44 years for the welfare of the sex workers, defying their constitutional rights,” he said at a seminar.
NHRC along with some NGOs organized the seminar on the life and livelihood of the sex workers at the Senate Bhaban of the University of Dhaka. Regarding the sex workers rights, Dr Mizan said the Article 18 of the Constitution mentioned that the state should take effective measures to eradicate prostitution, but the state did nothing in the last 44 years.
“If we don’t like prostitution, we have to arrange employment for them. It is the state’s responsibility to rehabilitate the sex workers. As long as we are unable to rehabilitate them, we have to recognize their rights,” he said.
As regards the sex workers plight, he said, “They are always being harassed by different quarters. They are repressed but they are not getting legal protection from the society,” he said.
Mentioning the Article 42 of the Constitution, the NHRC Chairman said everybody has the right to possess properties, but some influential people are grabbing the sex workers’ properties, taking advantage of the inaction of the state machinery.
“The sex workers are deprived of their fundamental rights. Why should the Police harass them? They are not to blame for their present condition, it is the failure of the society, state and government, which could not ensure their rights,” he said.
Regarding the status of the sex workers’ children, Dr Mizan said they were not illegal. “A baby cannot be illegal. It is the failure of the state that it cannot rehabilitate them,” he said.
Rights activist Khushi Kabir, Shipra Goswami, Professor Ferdous Azim and Professor Helaluddin Khan Afrin also spoke on the occasion, among others.
