Training and Rehabilitation Center for Socially Disadvantaged Women

In Bangladesh prostitution is one of the major social problems. And the persons directly engaged in this vile, immoral occupation are called sex worker. In our socio-economic aspects women and girls are turned into a sex worker due to women and child oppression, trafficking, deception, abduction, birth in brothels etc. In our country due to poverty and helplessness a remarkable number of tender-aged girls willingly or unwillingly are bound to choose this occupation becoming victimized by some ill- natured, avaricious and adulterous persons in our society. There are three types of sex workers in Bangladesh: hotel based, floating at park and garden and brothel based. Inspire of tenacity these most vulnerable, derailed sex workers of the society are not allowed to come back in their healthy usual life, because they are treated as abused, blamed and disqualified persons to the society. Even most of the cases their family also denies to receive them. After rescuing the teenage girls who are deceived from the fundamental human rights and also detached from the mainstream of society, our government established a program named ` The training and Rehabilitation Centre for the socially handicapped girls’ in 2002-2003 Fee for relating them to the mainstream in society through providing proper protection, education, vocational training, mental development and finally rehabilitation and reintegration to the community. Currently, there are 6 training and rehabilitation centers for socially disabled girls in 6 divisions of the country.

To help for coming back to the mainstream of family and society through protection and fulfill the fundamental human needs and civic rights after rescuing the juvenile girls who are engaged with the immoral profession in exchange of money or kind because of their poverty, deception, oppression, helplessness or other disfavored situations.

1. To rescue the socially handicapped bellow 18 girls from the brothels and others places who are engaged with the sexual intercourses due to force, deception or other disfavored situations.
2. To build up them Socio-economically self-reliant and to arrange their rehabilitation by proper protection, care, medical treatment, correction, religious restrictions/ discipline, primary and non-formal education and vocational training.
3. To build up social mobilization about not forcing the poor destitute girls in this work by raising awareness about the harmful things of this unsocial and inhuman job.
4. Too aware above mentioned children about child rights and opportunities for fulfilled the development of girls according to the Constitutional Commitment, The Children Act, 2013 and UNCRC etc.

Definition of the ‘Socially Handicapped Girls’:

 ‘Socially Handicapped Girls’ means those girls who are engaged with the anti-moral sexual intercourses for hire, whether in money or kind because of poverty, deception, oppression, destitution and confronting other disfavored situations.

1. Rescue process and sending procedures to the center:

According to the existing ‘The Children Act, 2013’, ‘Women and Child Oppression Restraint Act, 2000’, ‘The Vagrant & Shelter less Persons (Rehabilitation) Act, 2011’ and other related act and rules in our country deserving authorities of local administration and police department to rescue the below 18 tender-aged juvenile girls from the different brothels, hotel, park and garden and others place who are engaged with prostitution and send them to the related center for the maintenance and protection after registering at the center. Here deserving authority means probation officer, police officer and class 1 special magistrate.

Way-forwards to send the inmate in a center-

1. Sending by the court.
2. Referral from the other institution/organization. But must be certified as a socially handicapped girl by the institution that will send the girl.
3. Sending for the interim time before judgment or declaration at judicious court by the police.
4. Willingly given a written declaration or affidavit as a sex worker or socially handicapped girl before a magistrate or any appropriate authority.
5. Rescuing children and girls from the trap of trafficking.

Release procedures of Inmates:

In all those cases where the court does not mention the particular time limit of the socially handicapped girls, after considering the subjects like developing behavior, acquiring training, opportunities for employment, marriage, handing over to the   respective guardians etc. the management committee decides their release by the recommendation of the manager of the center.

Service recipient:

Below 18 sex workers who are certified or rescued by the judicious court, law enforcing agency and government approved NGO’s.

The process of giving service:

• To rescue the girls engaged with the prostitution whose age are not above 18 years from the different brothels and another places according to existing The Children Act, 2013, Women and Child Oppression Restraint Act, 2000, The Vagrant & Shelter less Persons (Rehabilitation) Act, 2011 and other related acts and rules.
• To give shelter to those rescued girls for maintenance and security in a ‘Training & Rehabilitation Center for the Socially Handicapped Girls’ after registration.
• To provide physical and mental treatment regularly.
• To ensure food, clothing, nutrition and recreational facilities.
• To ensure counseling to increase the mental health, moral courage of the girls and to motivate them against any immoral professions.
• To build-up them to be self-reliant by providing non-formal education, religious activities and different type of vocational and skill development training.
• To arrange rehabilitation for them through employment, self-employment, marriage or handing over them to the respective guardians or near relatives or any other legal guardians.
• To release them to the custody of respective guardians by the recommendation of manager and case worker and permission of managing committee of the center.
• To follow-up the rehabilitated girls.

Service Centers:

Timeframe of providing services:

• Start from the sending time by the proper authorities.
• According to the order of court or till before handed-over to the legal custody.

Necessary fee/tax/others expenditure:

• Free

Respective Act/Rules/Guidelines:

• The Children Act, 2013
• Women & Child Oppression Restraint Act, 2000
• The Vagrant & Shelterless persons (Rehabilitation) Act, 2011
• Guidelines for Management of Training & Rehabilitation Centre of The Socially Disadvantaged Girls, 2002

For public participation:

• To inform to the authorities if seen something different management in a Centre.
• To help financially through the deposit Jakat, Fitra, Donation etc. for the welfare fund of the Centre.
• To help for providing education, vocational & skill development training.
• To help for increasing physical, intellectual & mental development.
• To help for the development of mentality or behavioral changes through counseling.
• To help for the employment.
• To help for searching the victim’s relatives.
• To help rehabilitation in society.

 Concerned Officers:

Manager, concerned/related Centre.

 Next Concerned Officers if failed to get specific service:

For districts-

• Divisional Director, concerned division.
• Deputy Director, concerned district.

For Headquarters-

• Director (Institution), Department of Social Services, Agargaon, Dhaka.
• Deputy Director, concerned branch, Department of Social Services, Agargaon, Dhaka.

Statistics on service provision from the beginning to June/2025 fiscal year

পরিশিষ্ট-১

পরিশিষ্ট-২

পরিশিষ্ট-৩

পরিশিষ্ট-৪