On 10 October 2025, Sahara Chowdhury Rebil, a 23-year-old transgender woman and LGBTQ rights activist, began a hunger strike at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, demanding constitutional recognition of marriage rights for LGBTQ people in Bangladesh. Standing alone in the rain with a protest banner, Sahara declared that she would continue her hunger strike until her demand for equal marriage rights was addressed. Her demonstration called attention to the exclusion of LGBTQ citizens from legal recognition of their relationships and the social and economic consequences of that exclusion. She argued that marriage was not simply a matter of personal relationships but was closely connected to social acceptance, economic security and equal citizenship. Sahara initially remained at the Central Shaheed Minar before moving to the Raju Memorial Sculpture near the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of the University of Dhaka, where she continued her protest outdoors despite difficult weather conditions. According to subsequent reporting, she spent part of the night on the pavement under an umbrella. Following discussions with the university's proctorial team, she was permitted to remain on university grounds, although she said the permission was conditional on removing her protest banner.

The hunger strike followed the publication of a manifesto in which Sahara addressed the economic exploitation, social exclusion and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ people in Bangladesh. She argued that homophobia and transphobia contributed to economic inequality by dividing working-class communities, restricting employment opportunities and keeping queer and transgender people economically vulnerable. Her manifesto connected the demand for marriage equality with broader questions of labour rights, poverty, exploitation and citizenship, maintaining that the exclusion of LGBTQ people from legally recognised relationships reinforced their marginalisation. Through the hunger strike, Sahara sought to bring these demands into public discussion at a time when LGBTQ rights remained highly contested in Bangladesh. Her protest also followed a period of personal controversy and institutional conflict. In August 2025, Metropolitan University in Sylhet had expelled her following allegations concerning her social media activities and satirical artwork involving individuals associated with anti-LGBTQ positions. Sahara disputed the allegations against her, while a subsequent public statement signed by 162 citizens condemned the university's decision and called for her reinstatement. Her October demonstration brought her back into public view as she continued advocating for the rights and recognition of LGBTQ citizens.

As photographs, videos and accounts of Sahara's hunger strike circulated on Facebook and other social media platforms, the demonstration attracted both expressions of solidarity and hostile reactions. On 11 October, Dhaka Stream reported that the protest and Sahara's manifesto had generated widespread controversy online, including death threats directed at her on Facebook. The threats emerged while she was publicly occupying a protest site and openly identifying herself as a transgender activist demanding LGBTQ marriage rights. Her safety became a concern among supporters as the online hostility surrounding her demonstration intensified. The protest also received limited initial coverage from major Bangladeshi news organisations, with much of the early documentation circulating through social media posts, photographs, livestreams and materials shared by LGBTQ activists and their allies. In an article published on 14 October, Dhaka Tribune described how supporters had relied on these online platforms to document the demonstration and circulate Sahara's demands. The article also reported that her social media account had been deactivated during the protest, while supporters continued sharing information about her activities through other accounts.

On 11 October 2025, LGBTQ rights supporters, students and allies gathered at the Raju Memorial Sculpture on the University of Dhaka campus to express solidarity with Sahara and support her demands. The gathering brought public attention to the demand for equal marriage rights and the intimidation she had experienced during the protest. Participants expressed concern about her safety and called for recognition of LGBTQ people's rights, including their ability to form legally recognised relationships without discrimination. Photographs taken at the gathering showed supporters assembled near the sculpture, publicly demonstrating in favour of economic and social liberation and marriage equality for LGBTQ people. The solidarity gathering took place as Sahara's physical condition was deteriorating after an extended period without food. By Saturday night, 11 October, she had ended her nearly two-day hunger strike. Subsequent reporting described how exhaustion and dehydration affected her health and how friends assisted her after she became physically unwell. Dhaka Tribune reported that she collapsed from exhaustion and dehydration and was taken home by friends, who provided saline. Although the hunger strike ended without the legal recognition she had demanded, the demonstration and the threats surrounding it received further attention through reporting published in the following days.