Porno videos selling unabatedly; Hidden cam clips more popular among buyers

Published in The Daily Star
Section: Star City
Mon. April 03, 2006

Syed Tashfin Chowdhury

While passing Balaka Cinema at Nilkhet, people are often called by some pornographic video sellers who tempt them into buying the so-called "stash of goodies."

"Come and check out our collection. There are everything from foreign materials to even Bangladeshis," Matin, a VCD seller, called this correspondent at the spot. He claimed that he had a good collection of local hidden camera clips.

When asked, Matin showed some VCDs and DVDs, which were hidden underneath the pile of videos of Hindi and English movies at his makeshift shop on the footpath. He said most of these videos have been produced in Bangladesh.

Pornographic video clips made in Bangladesh are now being sold rampantly throughout the city.

Some pornographic video sellers said the making and selling of such videos have increased in recent time due to high demand. They said their customers are mostly young people, but there is huge demand among other segments of the society as well.

"Most of them are regular customers. They demand brand new items and like to watch 'deshi' videos," said Abdul Kashem, a VCD seller at Gulistan.

He said a number of groups are active in the city to make pornographic videos mostly with the help of prostitutes. "Apart from these, there are some 'hidden-cam' videos which are sold at a higher price," he told this correspondent.

"Dozens of porno video clips filmed by hidden cameras are now available in the city," said Dawood Ahmed, a college student from Azimpur.

Ahmed admitted that he had watched three such videos out of curiosity.

Kashem said the 'hidden cameras' are installed at certain spots like bathrooms in the girls' hostels to film the bathing of girls. Some cameras are installed secretly in cyber cafes to film the intimate moments of couples who go there for dating.

Hridoy (not his real name), a 22-year-old pornographic video collector, told Star City that the high demand for hidden-cam clips are due to the realistic feel in these videos.

"An added thrill is that some of the girls in these clips are allegedly from some reputed educational institutions in the city," he said adding that the sellers sometimes try to attract the customers by saying that the videos are filmed in those institutions.

Some sellers said they receive most of these videos from boys who develop relationships with innocent girls with the ulterior intention of making porno videos.

"They use these clips to blackmail these girls. If their demands are not met by the girls, then they sell the clips to the market," said Moinuddin of Gulistan.

In most of these clips it is found that the victims were unaware of the camera location. The camera angles and video resolution prove that amateurs made these clips.

"These videos are being sold at most VCD stores in Nilkhet, Gulistan, Stadium Market and Eastern Plaza of the city," claimed Hridoy.

City dwellers allege that the police are doing very little to stop this illegal and unethical practices and bring the gangs to book.

"Due to inaction of police in taking stringent measures, this business is going on unabated," said Maleka Rahman, a teacher and resident of Dhanmondi.

But police say these video sellers are rather elusive and it is very difficult to catch them. "They hide their items during our raids and restart the business as soon as we leave the spot," said officer-in-charge of New Market Police Station.

Some city dwellers however allege that the police themselves are getting a "share" of the profit from the porn video sellers.

The trend of making porno videos with hidden cameras began in 2001 when two perverts, Sumon and Pintu, released a number of such clips. Police were able to capture Pintu, but Sumon fled from the country, according to city dwellers.

The practice is still going on. The video sellers said dozens of 'deshi' videos are now available in the market. As many as 11 clips were released in 2005, they said.

The alarming rise in the hidden camera clips has created grave concern among the girls and their parents. "We are scared of these incidents and always pray that this never happens to us," said Sumona Haq, a student of Dhaka University.

"It's a constant terror for me as I have a teenage daughter. As soon as I heard of these incidents, I began to accompany her to the school, coaching centres and even to her friend's house at times," said Kakoli Ahmed, a housewife.

Some parents hoped that the authorities concerned would investigate the matter and apprehend the criminals behind this crime.

"Unless the masterminds behind the clips are punished, the number of these clips will increase," said Farah Binte Hafiz, a student of a private university.

When asked, SM Mizanur Rahman, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the matters are already being looked into. "The Detective Branch is currently looking into the matter. We are hopeful that we will soon apprehend the criminals."