Shahanur Islam Presents Critical Analysis of Violence Against LGBT People at International Symposium in England

 Shahanur Islam, a prominent human rights lawyer from Bangladesh, delivered a compelling presentation at the "Safer-to-Be-Me" International Symposium held at Sunderland University in England. The symposium, jointly organized on June 22 by the international human rights organization Report Out International and the University of Sunderland, aimed to address the pressing issue of violence against LGBT people.

The event brought together a diverse group of experts and scholars to discuss the challenges faced by the LGBT community and explore potential solutions. Participants included Sarah Ellis, a senior lecturer at Sunderland University, Simon Fox, a public health specialist, Gabrielle Gucci and Damien Berger, gender and sexual minority specialists, Sarah Connolly, a social science lecturer at Sunderland University, Matthew Waits, a reader at the University of Glasgow, Dr. Felicity Daly, a visiting research fellow at the University of London, and Philip R. Crehan.

REPORT of GHRD: Symposium on Grass root protection of minority rights

 JusticeMakers Bangladesh – Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founding Secretary General

Representing his newly established organization, JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Advocate Shahanur Islam discussed the organization’s target groups: ethnic, religious, social and sexual minorities, and victims of torture and extra‐judicial killings.

Mr Islam mentioned key future goals to be: building a strong network for minorities in Bangladesh and building up the networking capacity of the organization and the minority communities. He also discussed work he had begun in collaboration with GHRD with a new minority target group: sexual minorities in Bangladesh and the nature of discrimination against this group, often in the form of societal stigmatization but also in the form of sexual violations, violence and torture. Mr Islam also highlighted the need for advocacy on legal reform, to remove the criminalization of homosexual acts in the Bangladeshi Penal Code.

Questions and dialogue from other participants centred on the right to information, particularly in remote areas, and questions around how JusticeMakers Bangladesh are working with sexual minorities currently and the goals for future operations in this area. Mr Islam responded that he has begun interviewing sexual minority individuals and organizations in order to discover the rights and violations involved and how LGBT rights are viewed in Bangladesh. 

Ms Lundström formally announced the intention of GHRD to start including sexual minorities (LGBT communities) in its work as they belong to the most marginalized groups in South Asia. She expressed the position that LGBT rights essentially are human rights, and as such sexual minorities should be included into the mainstream human rights community. She finally announced that GHRD has submitted programs for funding with the Dutch Foreign Ministry in this regard.

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REPORT of GHRD: Hearing at Dutch Parliament ( Socialist Party & Party for Freedom

 Mr Shahanur Islam, Founding Secretary General of JusticeMakers Bangladesh

Mr Islam, a human rights defender and founder of the newly established organisation JusticeMakers Bangladesh, discussed the situation of ethnic and sexual minorities in Bangladesh – two minority groups particularly vulnerable to human rights violations and discrimination.

Mr Islam addressed the human rights situation of the ethnic minority people living in Bangladesh. Key issues included: a lack of constitutional recognition of their indigenous status and their rights to land, land disputes which makes them targets of violence, eviction, rapes, killings and sexual assaults. He addressed the conflict in the Chittagong Hill Tract region, and claimed that the government of Bangladesh has failed to implement integral clauses of the 1997 Peace Accord.

He further highlighted the situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people living in Bangladesh, stating that they face discrimination in all areas of society and often become the targets of sexual crimes, torture, harassment and violence, in the public and private spheres. Mr Islam discussed societal discrimination of LGBT people, stating they are constitutionally not recognized, stigmatized and socially not accepted ‐ exemplified by the criminalisation of homosexual acts.

Mr Islam ended his presentation by urging the Dutch Parliament to take initiatives to ensure protection of human rights defenders through intergovernmental dialogue and direct support, and he referred to his personal situation. He underlined a number of recommendations beginning with the full implementation of 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, and the need to ratify the UN declaration of the rights to indigenous people, decriminalize homosexual acts, and ratify the ILO Convention – including sections 107 and 169 (referring to the rights of indigenous peoples).

Mr Islam ended his presentation by urging the Dutch Parliament to take initiatives to ensure protection of human rights defenders through intergovernmental dialogue and direct support.

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REPORT of GHRD: Protecting Minority Rights in South Asia

Mr Shahanur Islam, Founding Secretary General of JusticeMakers Bangladesh

Mr Shahanur Islam, a Bangladeshi human rights defender and founder of the newly established organisation JusticeMakers Bangladesh, discussed the situation for ethnic and sexual minorities in Bangladesh – two minority groups particularly vulnerable to human rights violations and discrimination in the country.

Mr Islam began by explaining the human rights situation for the over 3 million ethnic minority people living in Bangladesh, particularly the lack of constitutional recognition of their indigenous status and rights to their land. Disputes over land make ethnic minorities targets of aggression, violence and eviction, resulting in their marginalization and discrimination, widespread violence, rapes, killings and sexual assault.

Mr Islam then went on to discuss the situation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people in Bangladesh, stating that they face discrimination in all areas of society and often become targets of sexual crimes, torture, harassment and violence, in both the public and private spheres. Mr Islam discussed societal discrimination of LGBT people, stating they are stigmatized and deprived of their rights ‐ exemplified by the criminalisation of homosexual acts in Bangladesh.

Finally, he talked about the situation for human rights activists defending ethnic and sexual minorities, referring to his personal situation and the threats he has received during the course of his work. Mr Islam finished by urging the EU to take initiative to ensure protection of human rights defenders through intergovernmental dialogue and direct support. He underlined a number of recommendations for the government of Bangladesh, which he asked those in the room to support and encourage by any means possible, beginning with the full implementation of the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, restoring the indigenous population’s rights to their land, ratification of the UN declaration of the rights to indigenous people and ILO Convention – including sections 107 and 169 (referring to the rights of indigenous peoples), and finally, the decriminalisation of homosexual acts.

Human rights of LGBT persons are not recognised in Bangladesh. They are abused, discriminated, arrested,

tortured and killed simply because of who they are, or who they are perceived to be.

Shahanur Islam

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GHRD Symposium: Grassroots protection of minority rights

GHRD successfully concluded its three day symposium: grass roots protection of minority rights, in Mumbai, India in November 7 . The symposium brought together 25 local partners, NGOs, journalists, and lawyers from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh active in the field of human rights, on the issues of human trafficking, Dalits, and religious and indigenous rights. The three day symposium provided a platform for GHRDs partner to network and exchange experiences on human rights in their countries, and the results of the Fight Modern Slavery campaign was presented. The symposium was also aimed at strengthening partnerships between Europe and Asia through capacity and trainings on fact finding and human rights documentation, project management, and EU funding. Finally, a joint manifesto calling for minority rights in South Asia was developed by the participants on three thematic working groups: Poverty, caste and Dalit rights, Trafficking in humans, and minorities in Bangladesh. Amongst the participating organizations were MAITI Nepal, JusticeMakers Bangladesh, Parrittran (Dalit rights Bangladesh), Kapaeng Foundation Bangladesh, Village Development Foundation Nepal, and Jabala Action (India). Unfortunately, the Pakistani participants were denied their VISA to enter India, but Naveed Walter, Human Rights Focus Pakistan, participated through skype. The final outcome and manifesto was presented at a press conference on the final day, with some 15 journalists from print and online press attending. The manifesto will be presented by some of the partners to European authorities and international organizations at GHRDs conference at the European Parliament, in Brussels on December 8th, in celebration of international human rights day.

Attending press conference: Sradhanand Sital, Chairman Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), Netherlands Naveed Walter, Director, Human Rights Focus Pakistan (via skype) Jenny Lundstrom, human rights officer, Global Human Rights Defence, Netherlands Shahanur Islam, Executive Director, Justice Makers Bangladesh Bikash Das, Parittran, (Dalit rights Bangladesh Janeit Gurung, program officer Maiti Nepal Baitali Ganguly, Director, Jabala Action, India