That one time I went undercover as a sex worker in Bangladesh

Sex work in Bangladesh is legal but still extremely exploitative and dangerous.

Photo: Kazi Riasat Alve

Sex work has been legal and regulated in Bangladesh since 2000, one of just three Muslim countries in the world to legalize prostitution. It might seem strange for a Muslim-majority country with conservative social laws, but if you look at the history of sex work in the Indian subcontinent, it’s not all that surprising. Sex workers have always held a visible place in society. Often referred to as the oldest profession in the world, some brothels in Bangladesh are almost two hundred years old. 

One of my favorite movies as a young girl was Umrao Jaan —a Bollywood film about an Indian courtesan in the early nineteenth century. Umrao was kidnapped and sold to a brothel as a pre-teen. I was drawn to Umrao and her peers in their dazzling jewels and ornate dresses, kohl-rimmed eyes and luscious maroon lips—it was the first glimpse of the power of female sexuality I ever had. My conservative Bangladeshi Muslim parents stayed as far as they could from discussions around …