Bangladesh lesbian couple taken to police by their families
Bangladesh rights group denounces police action against lesbian girls
On the morning of Saturday, April 26, two teenage girls in a same-sex relationship were handed over to the Faridganj Police Station in Chandpur, Bangladesh, reportedly under pressure from local Islamic fundamentalist groups. The girls were accused of engaging in homosexuality—a charge not formally recognized under Bangladeshi law per se. The “unnatural offences” section of Bangladesh’s Penal Code is generally understood to only apply to sexual acts between men or “unnatural” acts between men and women.
According to news reports, the two teenagers come from different religious backgrounds. Arohi, 19, is a Hindu from Kotalipara, while Ritu, 17, is a Muslim from Faridganj. They first connected via TikTok in January 2025 and soon developed a romantic relationship, frequently visiting each other’s homes.
On April 17, Ritu traveled to Arohi’s home in Gopalganj. A week later, on April 25, she brought Arohi back to her home in Chandpur. The couple declared that they had married each other out of mutual love, although they could not provide any legal documentation of the union.
“We did not act on impulse,” the girls reportedly told authorities. “This relationship is based on deep mutual affection and commitment.”
However, after their relationship came to light, Ritu’s family—under pressure from local conservative religious figures—surrendered both girls to police custody on April 26. The next day, police returned the girls to their respective families and issued a warning to the guardians to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has issued the following statement condemning the police actions regarding the couple:
JMBF Strongly Condemns the Police Handing Over of Two Lesbian Teenagers in Chandpur, Bangladesh
France-based human rights watchdog, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), expresses its strongest condemnation and deep concern over the recent incident in which two lesbian teenagers — Arohi (19) and Ritu (17) — were forcibly separated and handed over to police in Faridganj, Chandpur on April 26, 2025, under pressure from local religious extremists.
This inhumane act, fueled by entrenched homophobia and religious fundamentalism, constitutes a grave violation of basic human rights, personal freedom, and dignity. It highlights the alarming vulnerability of sexual minorities in Bangladesh — particularly young LGBTQ+ individuals — who continue to face systemic violence, social exclusion, and institutional neglect.
According to credible reports, Arohi and Ritu met via TikTok earlier this year and developed a consensual romantic relationship. They later expressed their commitment to one another and attempted to live together. Instead of receiving protection or support, they were criminalized, stigmatized, and subjected to institutional abuse.
“We are witnessing the tragic consequences of state inaction and societal prejudice,” says French LGBT rights activist and Chief Adviser of JMBF Robert Simon. “Love is not a crime. What is criminal is the silence of institutions and the complicity of the state when young people are persecuted for their identity. Bangladesh must choose between repression and human rights.”
Of equal concern is the potential for further abuse now that the girls have been returned to their families by the police. JMBF fears they may face forced psychiatric treatment, coerced heterosexual marriage, or even so-called “corrective rape” — a horrific and criminal form of sexual violence falsely aimed at “curing” homosexuality.
“Returning these girls to the very environment that betrayed them is not justice—it is complicity,” says Shahanur Islam, Founder and President of JMBF. “This incident is not isolated. It is part of a systemic pattern of violence, neglect, and legal abandonment of LGBTQ+ persons in our country. The state must act—through legal reform, police sensitization, and protective services, or it will have blood on its hands.”
JMBF underscores that this case reflects a broader pattern of institutional failure and widespread societal intolerance. Without legal protections, awareness, and safe spaces, LGBTQ+ youth in Bangladesh — especially lesbian and bisexual women — remain at high risk of coercion, trauma, and life-threatening violence.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France Urges:
- An immediate investigation by the Bangladeshi government into this incident and guaranteed protection for Arohi and Ritu,
- The international community, including governments and human rights bodies, to raise their voices against the ongoing persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals in Bangladesh,
- Local civil society and media to end the silence and stand in active solidarity with all those persecuted for their identity and love.
As an organization dedicated to justice, dignity, and equality, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France stands unwaveringly with Arohi and Ritu — and with every LGBTQ+ individual in Bangladesh who dares to love and live despite fear and oppression.
