Her life started out so idyllic, adored and well cared for by her parents. But something began to shift. Her parents had another child when she was around ten years old and a third when she was around 14 years old. Suddenly she seemed more like a burden to the family than the treasured daughter she had been. Eventually it emerged that she had been adopted by this childless couple as an infant as her biological family was desperately poor with three other children and unable to provide for her.
Losing the love and affection of the only parents she had known was devastating for Taslima* (name changed). Wanting to end it all, she jumped into the river. She survived this suicide attempt.
She found her biological family and went to stay with them, but nothing had changed. They still were desperately poor and didn’t need another mouth to feed.
Taslima* didn’t know where to turn. When her brother’s wife, Ruma, told her about the good wage she earned sewing beading on sari’s in Bengaluru, India, it seemed like the perfect solution. She could earn a good salary, support herself, and help her family as well. Ruma arranged for her aunt to accompany Taslima* to India. Ruma’s aunt smuggled her across the border and took her to Bangaluru.
Taslima* very quickly realized she was not there to sew beading on sari’s. She had been trafficked into prostitution. Ruma, Ruma’s elder sister, and her aunt were all part of a trafficking ring.
This is when the hell truly began. Taslima* wasn’t allowed to communicate with her family. She was beaten and told she’d only go to jail if she tried to escape as she had entered India illegally. She was given drugs that made her dizzy and unable to resist them. They sent her to many different customers, beating her, abusing her if she ever tried to protest. Her arms bear the scars of the burns and cuts she made on her skin, harming herself to distract herself from the pain inside.
After 14 months of enduring this nightmare, the brothel was raided and Taslima was freed. Ruma, her sister and her aunt were all arrested. Taslima* arrived back in Bangladesh in January of 2021 with the support of Justice and Care, a local NGO. With their support, Taslima and her family are pressing charges against her traffickers. Ruma is now in jail awaiting trial but Ruma’s aunt was released on bail. The sad truth is that very few traffickers are actually convicted in Bangladesh.
Taslima* is in touch with her family but she wanted a fresh start free from stigma and an opportunity to provide for herself independently. In September of 2021, Taslima* moved into our Friends of Basha transitional home and started our training and rehabilitation programme. She will complete her training time at the end of February and will transition to full time employment through Basha Boutique on 1 March 2022. She will continue to live in our transitional home until she is ready to live independently.
Taslima* has changed so much since she joined our training and rehabilitation programme. She was initially scared to engage with others, full of self hatred, fear and doubt. Now she has bonded with the other women she lives and works with. She is more trusting and friendly. Instead of blaming and loathing herself, she is gaining confidence and letting herself heal. She is able to dream of her future and all that it might hold.
