A journalist does media stories as asked by the Editor. The person in charge is that Chair and the said person is the one who decides. Unlike today's journalists who seem more interested in the political angle than the quality of their media products, we come from an earlier era where stories mattered not other issues. But then times changed.

Nowadays its non-journalists who do some of the best stories and scoops on social media leaving journalists to mostly do weakly informed passionate diatribes against the injustices of the world. However, times do change and so to each his own era and professional code and objectives.

My foray into sex work journalism

The first time I covered the sex workers was in the mid-80s when I was the Acting editor of Dhaka Courier and it focused on Tanbazar in Narayanganj. There is a huge building and several others in the area on the river bank.

The sex workers have rooms of their own and it's a simple business- at least was- and clients would visit, negotiate the price with the pimps lounging at the gates and then go to the desired room. It was a blind date for many particularly young students tasting sex for the first or first few times. But once they came to know a provider many would have preferences for a particular girl.

Life was moving on as usual as it had for long till the demand for commercial sex was outran by the real estate prices and the buildings or the land on which they stood became a prize worth fighting for. Suddenly, the party in power and the Opposition party united for a common cause, eradication of prostitution in that area. It was an official red light area and sex work is not illegal in Bangladesh but when the heart is rebellious, it doesn't listen to such legal niceties. Soon, a movement arose and even the mosques got involved.

So what does a good hard working journo do? He goes to the spot rather than calling an expert and asking for his opinion as most are wont to now. So on to Tanbazar.

Shefali

The Narayanganj correspondent of a national daily, my contact- took me inside, the pimps and onlookers a bit suspicious of this tall shabbily clad bearded guy entering a building this way. A few were amused that I had come looking for a girl at mid- day while others snickered that my trouser and shirt clad look wasn't exactly a local customer variety. Well anyway, I was inside and passed a few curious gaze of young sex workers and stepped into a long verandah where several stoves were on, cooking food.

The girls were friendly and some even offered me lunch -beef and cabbage I remember- but to be honest I was quite whelmed -not over but yes, whelmed. My contact then took me to a room and knocked on the door. Shefali, a young girl in sari, in her mid- 20s. My contact introduced me and then after a few words left for his work while Shafali asked me inside.

The room was small with just a bed and no other furniture. Well, I guess, those who came in had no other business than there. There was a water tap enclosed by a six inch brick and mortar "wall" and the room walls plastered with pictures of film stars cut from cine fan mags and papers. That's all.

Her cause

She had been elected the leader of the movement against eviction by the sex workers themselves and she was taken off sex work. Instead, the workers themselves all donated a small amount and she lived off that stipend, free to carry on her work to help others prevent a takeover.

We talked of the work they were doing and though it was the first time in a sex workers room and I was uncomfortable I was able to put myself at ease. I left her room, convinced of their cause which was simply the right to carry on their work as they were paying rent regularly, had lived in these rooms for many years even inter-generationally and sought no help from none. The Government gave them nothing and they sought nothing. What else could they not ask? They sought nothing and got nothing.

Her death and my cause

Barely three months later, she was knifed to death. Nobody knew by whom, all knew why. No arrests were ever made, nothing happened. A few protest meetings were held and the issue sort of petered out. Media covered the death and the attempt to take over the property was suspended for a while but eventually it did give away and eviction did happen and the sex workers spread to wherever they could survive.

Years later, I moved into the so-called development world which includes rights of the vulnerable including that of the sex workers. And when I do I remember Shefali.