Prostitution in Bangladesh

Prostitution is legal in Bangladesh but regulated by law. According to the law, only adult women can engage in professional sex work by making a declaration in court, although among the hundreds of thousands of sex workers in Bangladesh, a large number are children. Generally, three types of sex workers are seen in Bangladesh: hotel-based, floating in parks and gardens, and brothel-based. Although several brothels were demolished in the 20th and 21st centuries, in 2020 there were 14 registered brothels in Bangladesh. While professional female sex work is legal, professional male sex work is illegal, though it exists in various places. According to research, there are 200,000 sex workers in Bangladesh, among whom 10,000 to 29,000 are underage.