JMBF Strongly Condemns the Discriminatory Exclusion Following NCP-Linked Anti-LGBTQI+ Mob
Paris, France | 04 October 2026: France-based international human rights organisation JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses grave concern and strongly condemns the reported exclusion of prominent Bangladeshi trans feminist, gender and sexual rights activistand nurse Ho Chi Minh Islam from the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), following intense anti-LGBTQI+ mob pressure and online mobilisation opposing her participation.
According to media reports and JMBF’s own reliable sources, Ho Chi Minh Islam had been scheduled to participate on 5 October 2026 in a session titled “Governing Diverse Societies.” However, following public opposition to her participation and an escalating wave of hostility targeting transgender and LGBTQI+ identities, she was dropped from the programme.
The controversy intensified after National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Md. Sarjis Alam publicly opposed Ho Chi Minh Islam’s participation and made statements targeting homosexuality and transgender identity, portraying sexual and gender diversity as a threat to family, religion, society and the state.
His intervention was followed by substantial online hostility and mobilisation against Ho Chi Minh Islam and her participation in the conference. Her subsequent exclusion raises extremely serious concerns that discriminatory pressure directed against her identity and LGBTQI+ rights advocacy succeeded in denying a transgender human rights defender access to an important public platform.
JMBF firmly believes that the exclusion of a transgender human rights defender who was scheduled to participate in an international conference, following public opposition from an influential political figure through anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and subsequent hostile mobilisation, constitutes a clear violation of the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
JMBF considers the exclusion of Ho Chi Minh Islam under these circumstances a disturbing example of how anti-LGBTQI+ mobilisation can restrict the participation of sexual and gender minorities in Bangladesh’s public and civic spaces.
A person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or legitimate advocacy for LGBTQI+ rights must never determine whether that person is permitted to participate in a conference, academic discussion, professional forum or other civic platform.
Excluding a transgender voice from a discussion about diversity following mobilisation against her identity fundamentally contradicts the principles of diversity, inclusion and meaningful dialogue that such a platform should uphold.
JMBF stresses that equality and non-discrimination are not merely questions of institutional policy or social courtesy. They are fundamental principles embedded in the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Article 27 of the Constitution declares that all citizens are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law. Article 28 prohibits State discrimination against citizens on specified grounds, including religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth.
While sexual orientation and gender identity are not expressly enumerated in Article 28, the Constitution’s broader commitment to equality, fundamental human rights, freedom and justice must be respected and interpreted consistently with Bangladesh’s international human rights obligations.
The exclusion of people from meaningful participation in public life because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of human dignity and equality that underpin a democratic society.
In addition, Bangladesh is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 2 requires respect for Covenant rights without distinction, while Article 26 guarantees equality before the law and equal and effective protection against discrimination.
United Nations human rights bodies have repeatedly recognised sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds of discrimination under international human rights law. UN human rights jurisprudence and guidance make clear that protections against discrimination extend to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and gender-diverse persons.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) similarly establishes that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are entitled to fundamental rights and freedoms without discrimination. Article 7 affirms equality before the law and equal protection against discrimination.
Freedom of expression is equally important. Article 19 of the ICCPR protects the freedom to hold opinions and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas.
These protections cannot be meaningful if LGBTQI+ persons can be pushed out of public dialogue whenever influential individuals or organised groups mobilise against their identity.
JMBF therefore stresses that discrimination cannot be justified by political influence, religious intolerance, social prejudice or mob pressure. Human rights belong equally to every person.
JMBF strongly rejects any institutional response that removes an LGBTQI+ person from a public platform following discriminatory mobilisation against them. When a transgender person is targeted, the appropriate response is protection—not exclusion. When anti-LGBTQI+ groups attempt to silence a human rights defender, institutions must defend freedom of expression—not surrender the platform. When a mob demands exclusion, institutions must defend equality—not reward intimidation.
Removing the targeted individual following such pressure creates a dangerous precedent in which sufficiently aggressive mobilisation can determine who is permitted to speak, participate and remain visible in Bangladesh’s public life.
The implications extend far beyond Ho Chi Minh Islam. Such a precedent threatens LGBTQI+ persons, women, religious and ethnic minorities, human rights defenders and others whose identities or views may provoke hostility from powerful groups.
Robert J.P. Simon, prominent French LGBT Rights Activist and Chief Adviser of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), stated: “The exclusion of Ho Chi Minh Islam following anti-LGBTQI+ mobilisation is a deeply disturbing attack on equality, dignity and meaningful participation. No transgender person or LGBTQI+ human rights defender should lose their place at the table because influential individuals or organised groups object to who they are or whose rights they defend.”
He further stated: “This is not the first time that anti-LGBT mobilisation has been promoted by the leadership of the National Citizen Party (NCP). Rather, since its inception, the party has stood against the recognition of sexual minority rights and has repeatedly mobilised to spread anti-LGBT rhetoric, sentiment and movements. The international community should take this issue seriously and should withdraw all forms of support from the NCP, as it is guided by extremist principles.”
JMBF Calls for Immediate Action:
JMBF calls upon the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) to immediately reinstate Ho Chi Minh Islam, ensure her safe and dignified participation, provide a transparent explanation of the circumstances surrounding her exclusion, and publicly reaffirm its commitment to equality and non-discrimination regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
JMBF further calls upon the National Citizen Party (NCP) to reject anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and ensure that its leaders, members and supporters refrain from promoting hostility, discrimination or exclusion against sexual and gender minorities.
JMBF urges the Government of Bangladesh to protect transgender persons and other sexual and gender minorities from discrimination, threats and violence and guarantee their equal and meaningful participation in public, academic, professional, cultural and civic life.
JMBF also urges the United Nations Human Rights Council, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), European Union, relevant intergovernmental organisations, international human rights organisations and diplomatic missions in Bangladesh to closely monitor increasing anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and mobilisation in Bangladesh and urge the relevant authorities and institutions to protect the equality, dignity and meaningful participation of LGBTQI+ persons.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) stands in unequivocal solidarity with Ho Chi Minh Islam and Bangladesh’s LGBTQI+ community and demands her immediate reinstatement and effective protection against discrimination and intimidation.
In Solidarity
Advocate Shahanur Islam
Founder President
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
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JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan international human rights organization registered in France under the French Association Law of 1901 (Registration No. W931027714), committed to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF is officially registered in the European Union Transparency Register (REG No. 0635235105176-78).
