Challenges For LGBT, Gays And Lesbians In Bangladesh

Challenges For LGBT, Gays And Lesbians In Bangladesh

- Saleem Samad

Tourists’ most popular guidebook, Lonely Planet, advises gay travellers to be discreet in Bangladesh, and warns that homosexuality is illegal in Bangladesh, and homosexual acts are punishable under Bangladesh law with deportation, fines and/or prison.

In December 2008, Bangladesh was one of 59 countries that signed a statement opposing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights at the United Nations General Assembly.

Unfortunately, Bangladesh is one of 75 countries that currently have laws criminalizing homosexuality; and the highest punishment for “unnatural intercourse” is life imprisonment, but lesser jail terms of up to 10 years in prison and fines might also be handed out under the existing law, according to the daily Dhaka Tribune.

Primarily the country is a Sunni Muslim majoritarian nation, a major challenge for the LGBT, gay and lesbian communities face in Bangladesh.

Despite Bangladesh being a conservative country, the government in July 2016 recognized the ‘trans-gender’ community as ‘third gender’ with a single-sentence: “The Government of Bangladesh has recognized the Hijra community of Bangladesh as a Hijra sex.”

This circular represented a significant step toward securing a range of rights for Bangladesh’s ‘hijras’ — people who, defined as “male” at birth, identify as feminine later in life and prefer to be recognized as ‘hijra’ or part of the third gender.

Under Section 377, the country’s British colonial-era penal code, voluntary carnal intercourse against “the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” is punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to ten years and fines.