A brilliantly photographed series on the dangerous, grueling lives of teenage sex workers in Bangladeshi slums. Read more here. Seventeen-year-old prostitute Hashi embraces a Babu, her "husband", inside her small room at Kandapara brothel in Tangail, a northeastern city of Bangladesh. Many young and inexperienced prostitutes have "lovers" or "husbands" who normally live outside the brothel, occasionally taking money and sex from them in exchange for security in this male dominated society.
Hashi is one of hundreds of mostly teenage sex workers living a painful life of exploitation in the brothel. Hashi shows Oradexon at Kandapara brothel in Tangail. Oradexon, a steroid used by farmers to fatten their cattle, is taken by prostitutes in order to gain weight and appear "healthier" and more attractive to clients.
Eleven-year-old Shefali gets her eyebrow threaded. Shefali was born in Kandapara brothel as her mother was also a prostitute. She has to serve around customers per day. Shefali doesn't know how much she earns as her Madam takes away all of her income. In exchange she gets food three times in a day and some gifts occasionally. Seventeen-year-old Nazma rests inside her small room with her child at a brothel in Faridpur, located in central Bangladesh. Posted on March 19, , GMT. Gavon Laessig.
BuzzFeed News Reporter. Nineteen-year-old Lucky embraces her three-month-old son Riyad at Kandapara brothel in Tangail. Sixteen-year-old Maya applies lipstick in front of a customer inside her room at Kandapara. Hashi talks to a customer as Maya waits to get a customer. A customer jokes with Hashi as she tries to grab him into her room. Hashi deals with a customer as Maya waits to get one. Hashi smokes a cigarette before she serves a customer.
A portrait of a child is seen on the wall of Hashi's room. Twelve-year-old Mukti applies makeup before serving a customer at a brothel in Faridpur. Prostitutes apply makeup as they try to attract customers inside a brothel in Faridpur. Fourteen-year-old Lipi waits for customers at a brothel in Faridpur. A prostitute stands in front of a makeshift brothel by the river Padma in Faridpur.
