Dhaka — February 21, 2024:

A crowd led by former BRAC University adjunct lecturer Asif Mahtab Utsha gathered outside the Bandhu Social Welfare Society office in Kakrail, chanting slogans opposing services for gender-diverse communities and urging others to join. Police moved to the scene and the demonstrators left shortly afterward; a general diary was later filed, according to subsequent reports.

Witness accounts and video from the day show participants holding placards critical of Bandhu’s activities and livestreaming the rally on social media. Police in Ramna confirmed the gathering and said the crowd dispersed on seeing law enforcement. No injuries or arrests were reported.

The protest followed weeks of controversy surrounding Utsha, who in January publicly tore pages from a seventh-grade history and social science textbook containing “Sharifa’s Story,” a lesson about the Hijra community; the video went viral. BRAC University subsequently announced it would not offer him a teaching contract, describing the act as vandalism and “destructive” behavior unbecoming of a teacher.

Amid the broader national debate, the education ministry formed a five-member committee on January 24 to review the contested lesson, and in May the probe recommended removing the story from the textbook.

The situation around Bandhu’s Kakrail office remained calm after police intervention. Community groups continue to call for protection of service providers and rights defenders working with gender-diverse people.

Source:

• “Protesters surround Bandhu office” — The Daily Star (February 20, 2024). The Daily Star

• “Now activists are targeted over ‘Sharifa’s Story’” — Dhaka Tribune (February 22, 2024). Dhaka Tribune