Dhaka, August 17, 2025
A coalition of left-leaning democratic parties and student groups has condemned the filing of police cases and the permanent expulsion of Safwan (Sahara) Chowdhury, a transgender student at Sylhet Metropolitan University (SMU), after Islamist activists allegedly mobilized a crowd on campus and pressured administrators to act.
What happened
On August 12, Sahara posted a satirical cartoon on Facebook (from the account “Antarctica Chowdhury”) depicting two well-known anti-LGBTQ+ campaigners, Asif Mahtab Utsha and Dr. Mohammad Sorowar Hossain. The post triggered a wave of online abuse and threats. That same day, Dr. Sorowar filed a General Diary (GD) at Bhatara Police Station in Dhaka, alleging the cartoon constituted a death threat. Two days later, on August 14, Asif Mahtab Utsha filed a second GD at Uttara Paschim Police Station on similar grounds.
Following these complaints, Islamist activists and supporters of the complainants reportedly gathered on the SMU campus, confronted the Vice-Chancellor, and demanded punishment. Amid this pressure—and despite no court finding or due-process hearing establishing wrongdoing—SMU announced Sahara’s permanent expulsion, drawing sharp criticism from rights groups.
Who are the complainants?
Asif Mahtab Utsha — A teacher at Manarat International University, widely criticized for an anti-transgender campus event where he tore textbook pages discussing third-gender topics and urged followers to reject the materials. Following that controversy, BRAC University did not renew his contract. Utsha has been a prominent voice in anti-LGBTQ+ organizing and rhetoric.
Dr. Mohammad Sorowar Hossain — A professor at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and author of Mission of Homosexuality Behind the Mask of Equality. Critics say his online activity is dominated by anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda, often framing unrelated issues (such as reproductive health or vaccination) as part of a “foreign LGBTQ agenda.”
Both men deny wrongdoing and cast their complaints as lawful responses to what they claim were threats. Human-rights advocates counter that the cartoon was political satire and that the legal actions are part of a broader pattern of silencing.
Statements from left-wing parties and student groups
In separate releases, the following organizations condemned the GDs and the expulsion as intimidation-driven and incompatible with free expression and campus due process, urging Sahara’s immediate reinstatement and protection for targeted students:
Democratic Student Alliance
Bangladesh Student Union
Revolutionary Student Alliance
Pahari Student Council
Revolutionary Student Youth Movement
Social Democratic Party
People’s Democratic Students Unity
Prominent politician Zonayed Saki (Chief Coordinator, Central Committee, Ganosamhati Movement) separately denounced what he described as an illegal, mob-coerced expulsion, calling for its swift withdrawal and urging the government to safeguard the rights, dignity, and safety of all citizens—regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender.
Renewed online campaigns
In the wake of the GDs and expulsion, supporters of Sorowar, Utsha, and Asif Adnan have launched renewed online campaigns, including posts that activists describe as incitement and threats.
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