Spotlight on Bangladeshi politicians’ anti-trans, anti-gay remarks
Activists protest anti-LGBTQ slurs and exclusion of trans people
LGBTQ rights activists have denounced Bangladeshi politicians for their anti-gay and anti-trans hate speech in recent months along with their opposition to inclusion of references to transgender people in school textbooks.
Politicians’ offensive and discriminatory comments cited by JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) included:
- Denying the humanity of transgender people;
- Using the words “homosexual” and “hijra” as slurs when describing political opponents; and
- Demanding the removal of transgender-related content from school curricula.
JMBF issued this statement:
The France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern over recent discriminatory actions against transgender and homosexual individuals, as well as the propagation of hate speech against homosexuality in Bangladesh by major political parties, including the ruling party Bangladesh Awami League, the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatio Party, and the Islamic-religion-based political party Islami Andolon Bangladesh.
According to reports published in various Bangladeshi newspapers, on February 4th, the Opposition Chief Whip of the National Parliament in Bangladesh and Jatiya Party General Secretary, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, demanded the removal of two lines from a seventh-grade textbook, claiming they were controversial with Islam. He argued that the inclusion of transgenderism in the textbook was solely aimed at creating social chaos by undermining traditional social values. [See also last year’s related article “New textbook promotes acceptance of ‘third-gender’ hijras in Bangladesh”.
Prior to this incident, during the campaigning for the 12th National Parliament Election in December 2023, Moshiur Rahman Ranga, the Chief Whip of the then-opposition party in the National Parliament and the expelled Secretary-General of the Jatio Party, made derogatory statements against transgender people through a Facebook post. His comments, vilifying transgender individuals as “not a human” was deeply offensive and contributed to further marginalization and discrimination.
Additionally, on January 27, 2024, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, a Standing Committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), made derogatory remarks against homosexuality, referring to the present government as a “homosexual government” in a negative light. Such language perpetuates harmful stereotypes and contributes to the stigmatization of LGBT individuals. Furthermore, supporters of the BNP have used derogatory terms such as “hijra” to vilify members of rival political parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League.
On January 25, 2024, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the Minister for Home Affairs, stated that the government does not recognize transgender individuals and considers their identity as “haram” [forbidden] in Islam. Such statements not only disregard the rights of transgender people but also contribute to their further marginalization and exclusion from society.
Furthermore, on January 31, 2024, the Islamic-religion-based political party Islamic Andolon Bangladesh organized protests demanding the removal of transgender-related content from the education curriculum. This demonstrates a systemic refusal to acknowledge the rights and dignity of LGBT individuals within Bangladesh.
Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh, vehemently protests and is deeply aggrieved by the negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviors towards sexual minority people exhibited by major political parties.
He firmly believes that these actions are not isolated incidents but rather represent entrenched stereotypes pervasive across the political spectrum. He emphasizes the urgent need to address such discriminatory practices to ensure the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity.
JMBF asserts that treating sexual minorities by the major political parties in Bangladesh as subhuman and perpetuating discrimination against them violates fundamental human rights principles as enshrined in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
JMBF calls for an immediate end to the propagation of hate speech and discriminatory practices targeting LGBT individuals by political parties in Bangladesh. JMBF urges all political parties and the government to uphold the principle of equality and non-discrimination for all citizens of Bangladesh, irrespective of race, nationality, or sexual orientation.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) calls for the constitutional recognition of homosexuals and LGBT people in Bangladesh. It demands the repeal of Section 377 of the Penal Code and the enactment of laws to protect the rights and dignity of individuals within the homosexual community.
