27 December 2023 | Dhaka, Bangladesh
Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh, an Islamist student organisation, organised a human chain at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of the University of Dhaka on 27 December 2023 opposing transgender recognition and the inclusion of transgender people in the university’s admission quota. The organisation demanded the removal of the term “transgender” from the University of Dhaka admission notice and also called for the cancellation of the government’s proposed legislation intended to protect the rights of transgender people. Speakers at the demonstration described transgender recognition as incompatible with their interpretation of religion, society and culture and called for resistance to what they repeatedly referred to as a “transgender agenda.”
Addressing the human chain, Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh’s central president Shariful Islam Riad described transgender identity as a psychological abnormality and alleged that recognition of transgender people was part of an effort to introduce Western ideas into Bangladesh. He rejected recognition of a gender identity different from a person’s sex assigned at birth and presented such recognition as contrary to religious principles and the social values promoted by his organisation. He further argued that what he described as a “transgender agenda” was harmful to religious belief and society. These statements represented the positions expressed by the organisation and its leaders during the demonstration rather than established medical or scientific findings.
The organisation particularly objected to the University of Dhaka’s use of the “Transgender/Hijra” category in its admission process. Its leaders argued that Hijra and transgender identities should not be treated as equivalent and demanded that the university recognise only what they described as “genuine Hijra” people under the quota. Riad also raised objections concerning the possible presence of transgender women in spaces used by female students and used these arguments to oppose institutional recognition of transgender students. The organisation demanded that the university authorities remove transgender terminology from the admission notice.
Muhammad Al Amin, the organisation’s central public university affairs secretary, also criticised the University of Dhaka administration and its explanation of the admission category. He accused the university authorities of attempting to legitimise transgender identities and demanded a clearer distinction between Hijra and transgender people. Yasin Arafat, president of the organisation’s University of Dhaka unit, similarly opposed the admission provision and warned that further protests would be organised if the university did not withdraw it.
The demands made at the human chain extended beyond the University of Dhaka. Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh also opposed the government’s proposed legal framework for protecting transgender people’s rights and demanded its cancellation. During 2023, the Department of Social Services had been working on a dedicated legal framework concerning transgender people, and by early December officials had announced that a draft of the proposed Transgender Persons’ Rights and Protection Act 2023 had been finalised. The proposed framework addressed areas including legal identity, education, healthcare, employment, property and inheritance. The 27 December demonstration therefore combined opposition to transgender inclusion at a public university with opposition to proposed national-level legal recognition and protection.
The demonstration followed another protest at the University of Dhaka on 21 December, when a group of students demanded the cancellation of the university’s “Transgender/Hijra” admission quota and submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor. The 27 December human chain was organised by Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh and broadened the demands by explicitly opposing both transgender recognition within the university and the proposed national protection law. Other participants in the programme included leaders and activists of the organisation’s University of Dhaka unit and representatives from different faculties of the university.
The human chain took place on the same day that Hathazari Madrasa issued a separate fatwa declaring what it called “transgender ideology” forbidden under its interpretation of Islamic law. Both developments occurred during a period of organised opposition to transgender recognition in Bangladesh, particularly around the University of Dhaka admission quota and the government’s proposed transgender rights legislation. In its 27 December programme, Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh publicly positioned itself against transgender recognition in both university admission policy and the proposed national legal framework.
References
The Daily Campus — ‘ট্রান্সজেন্ডার এজেন্ডা বাস্তবায়ন করতে দেওয়া হবে না’ (29 December 2023)
Fateh24 — ঈমান ও সমাজ বিধ্বংসী ট্রান্সজেন্ডার এজেন্ডা বাস্তবায়ন করতে দেয়া হবে না (27 December 2023)
Alokito Doinik — ঢাবির ভর্তি বিজ্ঞপ্তি থেকে ট্রান্সজেন্ডার কোটা বাতিলের দাবি ইসলামী ছাত্র আন্দোলনের (28 December 2023)
Barta24 — ঢাবিতে ট্রান্সজেন্ডার কোটা বাতিলের দাবিতে ইসলামী ছাত্র আন্দোলনের মানববন্ধন (27 December 2023) [Video]
Jago News — ট্রান্সজেন্ডার একটি মানসিক বিকৃতি: ইসলামী ছাত্র আন্দোলন নেতা (27 December 2023) [Video]
