Scroll down to read the English, বাংলা & Français versions of this OP-ED.
“Charulata” is not her real name. Her identity has been changed to protect her privacy and personal safety. But her experiences are real, and the issues reflected in her story are neither isolated incidents nor merely the private crisis of a single family. Rather, her suffocating life reflects the silent, invisible, and largely unacknowledged reality of countless lesbian women in Bangladesh who are compelled to conceal their sexual orientation while living under family pressure, forced or unwanted marriage, domestic violence, economic dependency, fear of losing their children, social humiliation, and insecurity.
