Members of several religious organisations staged a protest in Bogura, Bangladesh, opposing homosexuality and activities related to the rights of LGBTIQ+ people. The demonstration, organised by Sirate Mustaqim Parishad, Bogura, on Monday, 25 August, targeted the non-governmental development organisation Light House, with protesters accusing it of promoting homosexuality and LGBTIQ+ rights. Demonstrators gathered in front of the Bogura Circuit House and surrounded the office of Light House, demanding action against the organisation. Protesters were also seen carrying placards displaying various anti-LGBTIQ+ slogans.
The demonstration was led by Mufti Monowar Hossain, a leader of Sirate Mustaqim Parishad. Participants included Maulana Mamun Rahmani, Vice-President of Hefazat-e-Islam’s Bogura district unit; Maulana Abdul Majed Ansari of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis; Abdus Sobhan, Chief Coordinator of Sirate Mustaqim Parishad; and representatives of several other religious organisations. The protesters alleged that Light House was promoting homosexuality and LGBTIQ+ identities under the cover of development and human rights activities. They demanded an immediate end to such activities and called for intervention by the relevant authorities. However, the published news reports did not provide independently verified evidence supporting these allegations.
On the same day, Light House organised an inauguration ceremony for a project titled “Civic Rights and Climate Justice” in Bogura. According to a report published by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Sharmin S. Murshid, Social Welfare Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, attended the event. Discussions at the programme focused on civic rights, social development, and climate justice. However, protesters used the occasion to accuse Light House of promoting LGBTIQ+ rights. While the BSS report identified civic rights and climate justice as the central themes of the project, it did not provide information substantiating the protesters’ allegations. There was therefore a clear distinction between the allegations made by the demonstrators and the project’s stated objectives.
In Bangladesh, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other gender-diverse people, as well as individuals and organisations working to protect their rights, have long faced social hostility, threats, and various forms of obstruction. Against this backdrop, the demonstration and the surrounding of Light House’s office in Bogura represent a significant incident. In particular, the public mobilisation against a non-governmental development organisation working on human rights and civic participation, based on allegations of promoting homosexuality, raises concerns about the safety of civil society organisations and their ability to operate independently. When organisations face obstruction or intimidation because of such allegations, it can create an increasingly hostile environment for human rights defenders and institutions working with marginalised communities.
References
- Daily Amar Desh — Anti-Homosexuality and Anti-LGBTIQ+ Protest in Bogura, 25 August 2025.
Read the Daily Amar Desh report - Daily Shomoyer Alo — Protest Against Alleged LGBTIQ+ Agenda in Bogura, 25 August 2025.
Read the Daily Shomoyer Alo report - Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) — Country’s Economy Returning to Stability: Social Welfare Adviser, 25 August 2025.
Read the BSS report
