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Social media ‘a precarious place’ for LGBTQ people in Bangladesh, activists say

  • A rise in anti-trans posts on Facebook and other websites has alarmed trans rights advocates in the country
  • Critics say existing safeguards on social media platforms are patchy and inadequate

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Bangladeshi hijras at a rally to mark the first nationwide programme to observe ‘Hijra Day’ in Dhaka on November 10, 2014. File photo: AFP
Transgender people in Bangladesh say social media platforms must do more to tackle hate speech, warning that an increase in transphobia online could threaten their safety in real life – and set back rights progress.
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In the early days of blogs and platforms such as Facebook, trans Bangladeshis embraced the online space to connect with each other, said Shaikh Md Mominul Islam, an activist who identifies as non-binary – neither a man or a woman.

But an increase more recently in anti-trans social media posts has alarmed trans rights advocates in the country.

“The digital space, which had earlier helped the gender-diverse people find their voice, has now turned into a precarious place to be,” Islam said.

In a country where same-sex sexual activity is illegal, trans people and hijras – members of a traditional third-gender community – remain marginalised despite being recognised by the state as a third gender in 2013.
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