Two young women run away, get married, face kidnapping charge
Lesbian couple in Bangladesh fell in love after meeting on Facebook
A young woman in Bangladesh faces kidnapping charges after she and her girlfriend ran away together last month and got married.
This is an edited version of the public statement about the situation from the France-based rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF):
Paris, France; Feb. 20, 2024: The France-based rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has expressed deep concern and anger over the arrest of a lesbian girl from Dhaka, who has been sent to jail on false and fabricated kidnapping charges solely because of her sexual orientation and her same-sex relationship with another young woman.
According to news published in various newspapers in Bangladesh, Mim Akhter, the daughter of Sahidul Islam from Bahadurpur village in Barishal, fell in love with Rober Liza, a gym trainer and a former cricket player of the National Women’s Cricket Team of Bangladesh.
After meeting Liza, Mim divorced her husband, whom her parents had forced to marry five years ago. On Jan. 25, 2024, she and Liza ran away together and got married.
On Feb. 12, Liza was arrested for kidnapping in a case filed by Mim’s mother, Jiachmin.
Magistrate Begum Sumaiya Rizvi Maury of Barishal sent Liza to jail on kidnapping charges on Feb. 13. Mim was sent to a safe house after when she objected to leaving Liza and going with her family.
Mim’s sister, Fatima, said that her sister fell in love with Liza after meeting her on Facebook. After that, Mim refused to marry any boy. Before their escape on Jan. 25, the couple made two previous unsuccessful attempts to run away.
Mim’s family claims that Liza kept Mim unconscious by injecting her. with an unspecified substance. Mim’s brother Naeem Hossain said that Mim gave unusual answers when she was asked why she went with Liza.
Advocate Shahanur Islam, founder president of JusticeMakers Bangladesh and a prominent Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights activist, demands the immediate and unconditional release of the lesbian individuals from jail and safe custody, alongside the withdrawal of the false charges. He emphasizes the need for a swift and impartial investigation into the matter.
JMBF asserts that such actions, driven by prejudice and discrimination against sexual minorities, violate fundamental human rights as declared by the United Nations. This incident is not an isolated one in Bangladesh but reflects a larger pattern of human rights violations against sexual minorities, including discrimination, violence, and false accusations, across the nation.
Moreover, JMBF calls for the constitutional recognition of homosexuals and LGBT people in Bangladesh. It calls for the repeal of Section 377 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes same-sex intimacy, and the enactment of laws to protect the rights and dignity of individuals within the homosexual community.
This arrest serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice faced by sexual minorities. JMBF stands in solidarity with all those affected and remains committed to advocating for justice, equality, and human rights for all individuals, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
