Of politics and prostitution

Whom will you believe?

A politician saying that he will look after your interest, improve the situation and not give business contracts to his khalato bhai when in power.

A policeman saying he will not take ghush.

The B group of companies saying it will pay off their decade-old bank loans.

A sex worker saying she will charge Tk. 20 for a session of sex.

You don't have to tell me whom you will believe. Everyone knows the answer.

* * *

This is in reference to Wasfia Nazreen's excellent post ("Sex workers and our moral police") last week dealing with the refusal to grant professional status to sex workers by the EC. In fact it was granted in the first round but then denied later. It's not that anyone denies there is sex work but of course many deny sex workers exist in sujala suphola Bangladesh. Don't ask me why.

But is that the fact? The real reason why they were not granted status is because the authorities were not sure where they stood on matters of national interest. Like who declared the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. Unless that is clarified, the status will not be given. Just a bit of political caution on their side.

* * *

Both our major parties follow this practice. Everyone knows you don't give benefits to the enemy. So we have situations where government offices are raided by party activists demanding only their kind be given the jobs. The professional bodies exist only to make sure those who are loyal to the party are given employment, transfers and appointments. Everyone knows this system but do the sex workers?

Will the advocates screaming for the rights of sex workers please tell them that the EC has nothing to do with their social or economic role. Why don't they form Jatiya Jouno Karmi League or Jatiyatabadi Jouna Kormi Dal depending on who they think declared the independence of 1971 and the EC will be happy to oblige.

* * *

Sex workers are hugely political beings. During Ershad's martial law, a militant activist began visiting a brothel regularly. He told me it was part of his revolutionary duty. "Remember they are the first people hit by a curfew as a result of which they can't work. They are oppressed by martial law, our sisters in the struggle against shoirotantro. I go there to declare our unity and solidarity." I got his logic.

* * *

It has been mentioned that the Mollah Bahini is behind the withdrawal of the first order. Give me a break! Nobody cares about them and if anyone thinks this will make al-Qaeda come to Bangladesh to take it out because sex workers have been registered as sex workers, I think you may be overstaying. Not that al-Qaeda is not dumb enough to do that, but Bangladesh doesn't matter to them.

Osama bin Laden, like all good Muslims particularly of the Arab variety doesn't think Bangladeshis are Muslims. Simple. Every non-Bengali Muslim, from the Mughal rulers to the al-Qaeda, think we are Hindus. The only people who think we are Muslims are the Hindus and they, if you don't mind me saying, don't matter. Even we don't care about them.

* * *

But the reason why al-Qaeda isn't here is because of sheer embarrassment. Would you want to be part of an extremist group that are becoming legends as a bunch of losers? Bangladeshi extremists are of the Bangla bhai and JMB variety, looking distinctly like unemployed madrasa teachers likely to ask for a donation. And almost all got caught by the police. Even the mastans never get caught in Bangladesh! Have you heard al-Qaeda operatives and allies getting caught by the local police? And then get hanged? I mean really!

I think our extremists must be Hindu al-Qaeda. Only Kafirs can be so incompetent.

Osama doesn't want to be part this town's hick parade.

* * *

Is the claim made by the sex workers and their advocates fair? After all no sex worker has ever been declared a national leader, had a mancha prepared in their name, gone to foreign trips with public money, been arrested for corruption, lied to everyone, given their children big contracts, stashed away money in foreign lands, seen clapping at the wrong time during national speeches, blamed everything on the opposition, etc. to name a few achievements?

Do they have the right to make a claim?

* * *

Some have also said that if one is allowed to register their profession, it will encourage others to join the profession. No, this is not fair to the EC.

So how come mastans are not a category and yet there is no shortage of them? Take chors. Apparently, the EC has not done much for the chors either and you know they are breeding like rats and rabbits regularly. What about badmash, you know the plain haramzadas who seem to be particularly common in Bangladesh.

No, the EC didn't consider that. They stuck to the basics. They haven't got enough political credibility, enough patriotism.

Not grant them status just because they keep their words and they don't make false promises? Somebody give me a break.

* * *

I used to know a sex worker named Shefali once. She did her tricks in a Tanbazar tenement. She was one of the leaders of the sex workers rights movement as they faced eviction from their home and workplace.

She took me once to her room on the second floor where lay a narrow bed and a tap on the ground. She asked me to have lunch with rice with cabbage and beef curry. It wasn't food that she offered to a friend but offerings made to a god. After all, I was a journalist who could tell the world what was happening to her and save them. I did of course and nothing happened.

A few days later Shefali was knifed to death. Tanbazar was emptied of sex workers and life went on. The killers were hired by an inter-party gang.

* * *

Maybe the sex workers should be happy that they have been denied. After all, the politicians don't have a category for them though politics is the most important profession in the land.

Sex workers have something common with them.

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Afsan Chowdhury is a journalist and researcher.