Forced into prostitution in UAE

Tuly Akhter*, a resident of Khulna, reached the UAE spending Tk 1.50 lakh by using all her savings.

She dreamt of a better life, spurred by promises of a lucrative salary as a domestic help.

Her dreams soon turned into a nightmare. She was forced into prostitution.

Upon reaching Abu Dhabi, Tuly was taken to Ajman city's Howard Johnson Hotel, operated by Bangladeshis Sayem and Payel alias Ranu. The two trafficked Tuly to UAE with Payel's mother's assistance.

The hotel became Tuly's prison. "When I refused to entertain customers, I was tortured both physically and verbally. They then threatened to hand me over to the police," Tuly recounted, after being deported to Bangladesh by UAE authorities following a 17-day jail term.

Despite months of exploitation, Tuly received no salary. Instead, she was forced to pay 4,000 dirhams for her Emirates ID, a cost supposed to be covered by her employer. "Having no other options, I was forced to do what they asked, but I did not receive any salary," she said.

Financially crippled, Tuly relied on friends to pay her loan installments.

A nexus on both sides is actively involved in sex trafficking. Our Bangladesh Embassy has not played a sufficient role in this regard, which is highly needed.

— Shariful Hasan Associate director at BRAC Migration Programme

Her ordeal intensified after Eid-ul-Fitr when she refused to continue working as a prostitute and rented a separate room. Her employers reported her to the police, leading to her arrest on charges of engaging in anti-social activities. Upon her return to Bangladesh, Tuly immediately sought justice, demanding punishment for those who trafficked her.

BRAC has provided Tuly with legal services and shelter at its Uttara centre. She is now preparing to file a case against Sayem and Payel. Tuly revealed that at least three other girls were similarly deceived and forced into prostitution at the hotel.

Kohinur Begum*, another victim, went to the UAE with promises of a job at a beauty parlour and a Tk 50,000 monthly salary. Desperate to support her bedridden father, she accepted the offer from local broker Aftaul Islam alias Parvez. Instead, she faced the same fate as Tuly, enduring physical torture by her Bangladeshi employer, Md Hannan, when she refused to comply with prostitution demands.

Kohinur was rescued by a man named Mamun, who paid Tk 4 lakh to Hannan in exchange for Kohinur's freedom. She returned to Bangladesh on May 21, 2023. She identified two hotels, Baisakhi Club and Radisson Blu Hotel (Falguni), where 20-22 other girls were similarly trapped.

BRAC also provided her with legal assistance, leading to the filing of a case against Parvez and Hannan at the Airport Police Station.

BRAC is now working to bring  back two more victims, who are still trapped in the UAE. One victim's mother has filed a case with Bandar Police Station in Narayanganj.

Shariful Hasan, associate director at BRAC Migration Programme and BRAC Youth Platform, said, "A nexus on both sides is actively involved in sex trafficking. Our Bangladesh Embassy has not played a sufficient role in this regard, which is highly needed."

He said over 100 girls are confined to various UAE hotels, forced into prostitution or other illicit activities.

Despite repeated attempts, the Bangladesh embassy in the UAE could not be reached for comment.

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the victims.