August 12, 2025 | Sylhet
Safwan Chowdhury Rebel, also known as Sahara Chowdhury, a transgender woman and student of Sylhet Metropolitan University, has been permanently expelled following a Facebook post that featured a satirical cartoon. Posted from her account “Antarctica Chowdhury,” the cartoon depicted two of Bangladesh’s most prominent Islamist extremist figures — Asif Mahtab Utsha and Mohammad Sorowar Hossain.
Expulsion Under Extremist Pressure:
After the cartoon was circulated, both Utsha and Sorowar filed separate cases against Sahara and amplified the issue on their own Facebook pages. Their posts quickly fueled online outrage, leading Islamist activists to mobilize a mob on campus. They confronted the Vice-Chancellor directly, issuing threats and demanding punishment.
Despite no proven misconduct, the university administration announced Sahara’s permanent expulsion, a move that rights defenders have condemned as bowing to extremist intimidation.
Who Were Depicted in the Cartoon?
- Asif Mahtab Utsha — A university teacher turned extremist figure, known for tearing out textbook pages on the third gender, spreading conspiracy theories, and leading intimidation campaigns against NGOs. He remains a central figure in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in Bangladesh.
- Dr. Mohammad Sorowar Hossain — A professor who devotes nearly all his online activity to anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda, framing issues like birth control and vaccination as part of a so-called “foreign LGBTQ agenda.” He authored Mission of Homosexuality Behind the Mask of Equality and built networks used to harass LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
Tradition of Satirical Protest:
Cartoons have long been part of Bangladesh’s resistance culture:
- During the Pakistan era, Kamrul Hasan’s “These Beasts Must Be Killed” galvanized anti-regime sentiment.
- In 2007, cartoonist Arifur Rahman’s “Name Mahmud” provoked violent backlash from extremists.
- In 2015, the Charlie Hebdo controversy spilled into Bangladesh with threats and protests.
Sahara’s cartoon followed this tradition of political satire, but the violent backlash and her permanent expulsion mark a dangerous escalation against freedom of expression.
Islamist Activists’ Reactions:
After the post, extremists launched a coordinated hate campaign:
- Death threats: “Behead this atheist,” “They will face the same fate as Charlie Hebdo.”
- Threats of campus violence: “If they enter campus, there will be blood.”
- Doxxing: Sahara’s personal details were leaked online.
- Religious incitement: Islamist preachers declared, “If the law doesn’t act, the faithful will.”
Responses & Protests:
- Lal Morich emphasized Sahara’s activism in the July Movement and demanded reinstatement.
- Democratic Student Union condemned the expulsion as surrender to extremism and urged universities to resist communal pressure.
- Human rights and LGBTQ+ activists launched campaigns both online and abroad, framing the incident as a direct assault on freedom of speech and minority rights.
This case is not simply about one expelled student — it is a broader indication of how extremist forces are silencing universities and shrinking civic space in Bangladesh. Satirical art, historically a tool of resistance, is now being crushed under threats of violence. For LGBTQ+ communities, Sahara’s case underscores how academic institutions are being co-opted by extremist influence, further marginalizing vulnerable voices
