25 pc of floating sex workers in Barisal drug addicts

These were revealed in a survey on 179 floating sex workers, jointly done by two NGO's the Social Advancement Society (SDS) and the HIV- STD Alarm Bangladesh (HASAB).

Fourteen per cent of them smoke, four per cent drink alcohol and seven percent take drugs regularly.

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Five percent of the drug addicted sex workers take ganja (hemp) and two percent drink phynsidyl.

The survey revealed that 56 percent of their clients are businessmen, 43 percent rickshaw pullers or day labourers and 14 percent are members of law enforcing agencies.

About half of the floating sex workers are aged between 20 and 29 and 14 percent are below 20. Sixty per cent of them have no education.

The survey also revealed that 37 percent of the floating sex workers had married at least twice and 11 percent married three times or more.

Forty-two percent of the sex workers live with their husbands and 11 percent with the brokers. About 25 percent of them are industrial workers and 31 have been compelled to come to the profession due to poverty.

Five percent of their income is taken away by law enforcers and 20 percent by their brokers.