Bangladesh: JMBF and SIL Express Strong Concern Over the Recent Arrest of Two Lesbian Individuals in Tangail

Paris, France; April 30, 2024: France-based rights organizations JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) and Solidarity International LGBTQI (SIL) jointly express profound concern and outrage over the recent arrest of two lesbian individuals from Tangail, Bangladesh, on April 21, 2024, due to their sexual orientation and same-sex relationship.

JMBF and SIL believe the arrest of the two lesbian women, who wished to marry, is a grave violation of their fundamental human rights and dignity as declared in the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Statement: JMBF Condemns Detention of Lesbian Couple in Bagerhat, Bangladesh

Paris, France; March 16, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expressed profound concern regarding the recent detention of a married lesbian couple by the Mongla police station in Bargethat. The detention followed a homophobic local public protest against the couple's expression of their sexual orientation and their marriage on April 13, 2024.

The France-based rights organization is deeply troubled by the police's actions in detaining the couple for 24 hours solely because of their decision to marry as a same-sex couple. JMBF views this incident as a blatant violation of the couple's constitutional rights and their dignity.

STATEMENT: JMBF is gravely concerned about the detention of four lesbian girls in Manikganj and Natore by the homophobic public.

Paris, France; March 20, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is gravely concerned and aggrieved about the recent detention of four lesbian girls in Manikganj and Natore districts by the homophobic public, respectively on March 09 and February 23, 2024, due to expressing their sexual orientation and willingness to get married.

The France-based rights organization, JMBF, considers their detention and handing over to the police by the homophobic public, due to the expression of same-sex relationships and willingness to get married, clear violations of their fundamental human rights and dignity.

JMBF urges the concerned authorities to take immediate action against those homophobic individuals involved in such heinous incidents of interfering with personal lives and privacy.

According to reports from various online newspapers in Bangladesh, on March 9, 2023, two lesbian women were detained by local residents in Singair, under the Manikganj district.

STATEMENT: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Arrest of Two Lesbian Girls in Satkhira

Paris, France; March 12, 2024: The France-based rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses profound concern and outrage over the recent arrest of two lesbian individuals from Satkhira on January 04, 2024. These arrests, which occurred solely based on the girls' sexual orientation and their same-sex relationship, are a grave violation of their rights and dignity.

According to reports from various online newspapers in Bangladesh, the two lesbian teenagers were apprehended from the Brajabaksa area of Helatla Union in Kalaroa Upazila on January 4, 2024, by the members of the Kalaroa Police Station. One of the arrested girls is Mahima Khatun (17), daughter of Abdul Mannan from Idanpur village in the Doara Bazar police station of Sunamganj district, and the other is Rubina Khatun (18), daughter of Anisur Rahman from Brajbaksa village in Helatla Union of Kalaroa Upazila in Satkhira.

STATEMENT: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) Condemns Arrest of Lesbian Individual in Dhaka

Paris, France; February 20, 2024: The France-based rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has expressed deep concern and anger over the arrest of a sexual minority lesbian girl from Dhaka, who has been arrested and sent to jail custody on false and fabricated kidnapping charges in Barishal, solely because of her sexual orientation and same-sex relationship.

According to news published in various newspapers in Bangladesh, Mim Akhter, the daughter of Sahidul Islam from Bahadurpur village in Muladi upazila of Barisal, fell in love with Rober Liza, a jim trainer and a former cricket player of the National Women's Cricket Team of Bangladesh. Later, she divorced her husband, as she was forced into marriage by her parents about five years ago. On January 25, 2024, she finally ran away with her girlfriend, Rober Liza, for the third time after repeated attempts and married her. However, her girlfriend, Rober Liza, was arrested in the kidnapping case filed by her mother. Police arrested her girlfriend, Rober Liza, along with her from Dhaka on February 12, 2024.

দুই বান্ধবীর বিষপান, একজনের মৃত্যু: নেপথ্যে সমকামিতা

সুমি আক্তার ও লক্ষ্মী দাস পূজা দুই বান্ধবী। দু’জনই ফরিদপুরের ভাঙ্গা কেএম কলেজের অনার্সের প্রথমবর্ষের ছাত্রী। দুই বান্ধবী গত ৭ই জানুয়ারি ভাঙ্গা থেকে শ্রীনগরে এসে একসঙ্গে বিষপান করে। পরে চিকিৎসাধীন অবস্থায় সুমির মৃত্যু হয়। সুমির মৃত্যুর পর শ্রীনগর থানায় এসে তার পরিবার ধর্ষণ ও আত্মহত্যা প্ররোচনার অভিযোগে মামলা করে। পরে পুলিশি তদন্তে দুই বান্ধবীর সমকামিতার বিষয়টি বেরিয়ে আসে। জানা গেছে, সুমির বাড়ি মাদারীপুর জেলার রাজৈর উপজেলার সেরেস্তাবাদ। পূজার বাড়ি ভাঙ্গা উপজেলার সোনামুখী এলাকায়। ষষ্ঠ শ্রেণিতে পড়ার সময় তাদের পরিচয়। সপ্তম শ্রেণিতে বন্ধুত্ব হয়।