Story perspectives

Eight trans women detained; NGOs slash support after hunger strike

6/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Eight hijra and trans women were detained, denied lawyers, and fined after harassment and filming in Shahbag, Dhaka.
Bangladeshi LGBTQI+ activists keep documenting and protesting despite post-uprising harassment, police collusion, and reduced institutional support.
In October 2025 Sahara Chowdhury Rebil staged a hunger strike at Shahid Minar and released a 178-page Bangladeshi Queer Manifesto.
Several NGOs have reduced LGBTQI+ programs, lost staff, and faced funding cuts, leaving activists with fewer protections.

History

Historical Context

Britain introduced Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code in 1860, criminalising ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’ and later embedding the provision in the penal codes of its former colonies, including Bangladesh. In 2025, Bangladeshi police detained eight hijra activists led by Sahara Chowdhury Rebil, invoking the colonial law’s public-morality clause.

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Story summary

Eight hijra and trans women were detained, denied lawyers, and fined after harassment and filming in Shahbag, Dhaka.
Bangladeshi LGBTQI+ activists keep documenting and protesting despite post-uprising harassment, police collusion, and reduced institutional support.
In October 2025 Sahara Chowdhury Rebil staged a hunger strike at Shahid Minar and released a 178-page Bangladeshi Queer Manifesto.
Several NGOs have reduced LGBTQI+ programs, lost staff, and faced funding cuts, leaving activists with fewer protections.

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