Allegations have emerged that another person’s National Identity Card (NID) number was used to conduct the marriage ceremony of transgender woman and news presenter Tashnuva Anan Shishir under a different identity at Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka. Following a writ petition alleging inaction by the relevant government authorities regarding these allegations, the High Court issued a rule on 29 September 2026. The court asked why the authorities’ failure to take necessary legal and administrative measures concerning the allegations of NID fraud and concealment of identity information should not be declared unlawful and without lawful authority. According to media reports, the Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Secretary of the Law and Justice Division, the Inspector General of Bangladesh Police, the Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Lalbagh Division, and the Officer-in-Charge of Chawkbazar Police Station were given four weeks to respond to the rule.
The incident began on 10 July 2026, when Tashnuva Anan Shishir participated in a marriage ceremony with Liton Chandra Biswas at Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka, conducted according to Hindu religious customs. Shishir is a well-known transgender woman and television news presenter in Bangladesh. During the marriage ceremony, the documents submitted to the temple authorities reportedly identified the bride as “Shishir Biswas” and the groom as “Liton Chandra Biswas.” Several individuals accompanied them as relatives and witnesses. According to statements made by the temple authorities to the media, the marriage ceremony was conducted based on the identity documents submitted and the information provided by those present. Subsequently, photographs and videos of the marriage circulated on social media, attracting widespread public attention. The temple authorities then learned that the person who had participated in the ceremony as the bride was Tashnuva Anan Shishir, who is publicly known as a transgender woman. Following this, the temple authorities alleged that they had not been informed about Shishir’s identity and religious background during the marriage arrangements. They claimed that the documents submitted for the marriage identified the bride as “Shishir Biswas” and that the individuals present had also identified themselves as Hindus. According to the temple authorities, they had believed that the necessary requirements for a marriage under customary Hindu religious practices had been fulfilled. They further claimed that they would not have conducted the marriage ceremony had they known the information that subsequently emerged.
According to information published in the media, the marriage ceremony lasted approximately one and a half to two hours, and BDT 2,000 was given to the temple as a religious offering. Following the controversy surrounding the marriage, the temple authorities submitted a complaint to the police and announced measures to verify identity documents more strictly before conducting marriage ceremonies in the future. Meanwhile, new allegations emerged concerning the authenticity of the National Identity Card used during the marriage. According to the allegations, the NID number appearing on the document submitted under the name “Shishir Biswas” actually belonged to another individual named Mohammad Zahidul Islam. The writ petitioner claimed that the name, photograph, parents’ names, and date of birth associated with that individual’s NID number had been changed while retaining the original NID number, creating an identity document under the name “Shishir Biswas.” Allegations were also raised concerning discrepancies between the information on the disputed document and Shishir’s existing identity records. The alleged creation and use of an identity document under a different name using another citizen’s NID number subsequently became one of the principal issues in the legal proceedings.
The allegations concerning the use of a different identity during the marriage also brought discussions about the legal recognition of transgender identities and marriage-related provisions in Bangladesh. Although the Government of Bangladesh recognised the Hijra community as a distinct gender category in 2014, various limitations remain regarding changes to gender identity information on official documents and the legal recognition of marriage for transgender individuals. The country’s existing marriage system generally operates through conventional gender-based classifications of bride and groom. Bangladesh also has no general legal framework explicitly recognising marriage between two individuals of the same legal sex. Consequently, transgender individuals whose gender identity does not correspond with the gender recorded in their official documents face legal and administrative complications when correcting their identity documents and participating in marriage procedures. The controversy surrounding Shishir’s marriage similarly brought together questions concerning her gender identity, religious identity, and the documents used during the marriage ceremony.
Subsequently, on 30 August 2026, lawyer Mohammad Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury filed a public-interest writ petition before the High Court. According to media reports, Advocate Ishrat Hasan filed the petition on behalf of the petitioner, while Advocate Mohammad Ahsan participated in the hearing. The petition raised allegations that another person’s National Identity Card number had been used during the marriage to commit identity fraud and accused the relevant government authorities of failing to take necessary action. It also questioned the validity of the marriage under Bangladesh’s existing legal framework. The petitioner argued that allegations concerning the alteration of identity information and the use of another person’s NID number during the marriage required investigation under the National Identity Registration Act, 2023. The petition also raised questions about the legal recognition of marriage for transgender women and whether Shishir could be recognised as a bride under the existing legal framework. According to media reports, the writ petition referred to the National Identity Registration Act, 2023, various provisions of the Penal Code, and Section 377 of the Bangladesh Penal Code. Section 377 criminalises certain sexual acts described in the law as being against the order of nature. The petition also referred to the absence of clear legal provisions concerning gender transition and the recognition of transgender identities in official procedures.
Following the hearing of the writ petition, a High Court bench comprising Justice K. M. Kamrul Kader and Justice Fatema Anwar issued a rule on 29 September 2026. The court asked the relevant government authorities to explain why their alleged inaction in taking necessary legal and administrative measures concerning the allegations of NID fraud and concealment of identity information should not be declared unlawful and without lawful authority. The court also sought explanations regarding the responsibilities of the relevant authorities to investigate the allegations and take necessary action in accordance with the law. The seven officials named above were instructed to submit their responses within four weeks. The authenticity of the National Identity Card used during the marriage, allegations concerning alterations to identity information, and the role of government authorities in addressing these matters were presented before the court as the principal issues raised in the writ petition. Questions concerning the legal recognition of marriage for transgender individuals and the interpretation of Bangladesh’s existing laws were also associated with the case.
References
- The Daily Ittefaq — “ট্রান্সজেন্ডার বিয়েতে এনআইডি জালিয়াতির অভিযোগ, হাইকোর্টের রুল”, 29 September 2026.
Read the Daily Ittefaq report - bdnews24.com — “ঢাকেশ্বরী মন্দিরে ‘ট্রান্সজেন্ডার বিয়ে’: এনআইডি জালিয়াতির অভিযোগ নিয়ে রুল”, 29 September 2026.
Read the bdnews24.com report - Sarabangla — “’ট্রান্সজেন্ডার বিয়ে’র বিরুদ্ধে আইনি-প্রশাসনিক ব্যবস্থা নিতে হাইকোর্টের রুল”, 29 September 2026.
Read the Sarabangla report - Lawyers Club Bangladesh — “’ট্রান্সজেন্ডার বিয়ে’ ঘিরে এনআইডি জালিয়াতি: প্রয়োজনীয় আইনগত ব্যবস্থা নিতে হাইকোর্টের রুল”, 29 September 2026.
Read the Lawyers Club Bangladesh report - Bangla Tribune — “ঢাকেশ্বরী মন্দিরের সেই ‘বিয়ে’ নিয়ে হাইকোর্টে রুল, অভিযোগে যা আছে”, 29 September 2026.
Read the Bangla Tribune report - Bangla Edition — “মন্দিরে বিয়ে, এনআইডি জালিয়াতি মুসলিম ‘ট্রান্সজেন্ডারের’ বিয়ের অভিযোগ”, 4 August 2026.
Read the Bangla Edition report - Bangla Edition — “মন্দিরে ‘সমকামী’ বিয়ে যা উঠে আসলো বাংলা এডিশনের অনুসন্ধানে”, 10 August 2026.
Read the Bangla Edition report - NTV Online — “সেই ‘ট্রান্সজেন্ডার বিয়ে’ নিয়ে হাইকোর্টের রুল”, 29 September 2026.
Read the NTV Online report - The Business Standard — “HC asks why inaction over NID fraud linked to transgender wedding should not be declared unlawful”, 29 September 2026.
Read the Business Standard report
