Press Statement
April 10, 2026 | Friday | Approx. 7:30 PM
It was a Friday. Pohela Boishakh is just around the corner. Dhaka University was preparing for the new year. We were 8 to 10 friends sitting at a small tea stall opposite Shahbagh Police Station. We were drinking tea, talking, making simple plans to walk around Charukola. Among us were a hijra friend and a trans man. It was an ordinary evening. Quiet. Harmless. We had no idea how quickly that ordinary moment would turn into violence.
Near the area between the National Museum and the old Public Library, a group of around 70 to 80 people gathered under the banner of “Azadi Andolon.” They were openly calling for violence against queer and trans people. We heard them say that transgender and homosexual people should be slaughtered, beaten, eliminated. They gave threats to have all queer people leave the area within ten minutes or face brutal consequences.
We heard all of this. Then they began marching toward us. At that point, we still did not fully understand what was about to happen. One of our friends, who was closer to the gathering, started recording. As the march moved closer, others at the tea stall also began filming.
We finished our tea and got up, preparing to leave for Charukola where other friends were waiting. Within moments, the march turned towards us.
The march initially passed us. Then they noticed our hijra friend. They turned back. Some mobile journalists followed them. A light was pointed directly at our friend’s face. We were told, loudly, that “homosexuals must leave.” We tried to speak calmly. We tried to de-escalate. We tried to explain. They did not listen. Within seconds, we were labeled “homosexuals” and attacked.
One of our women friends was physically assaulted. When we protested, the situation exploded. They began beating us. We were outnumbered. We were surrounded. We were pushed into a corner. We were sitting peacefully at a tea stall. They came to us. They attacked us. There is video evidence.
While some bystanders and the tea seller tried to help, many mobile journalists actively encouraged and provoked the attackers. All of this happened in front of Shahbagh Police Station. We approached a police officer and asked for help. He stood there. He did nothing.
The violence escalated. Women were dragged by their hair, thrown to the ground, kicked repeatedly. Bags with bricks in them were used to hit us. People were assaulted indiscriminately, men and women alike.
Our heads, chests, backs, and genitals were targeted. Clothes were torn. Attempts were made to strip women. When our male friends tried to protect the women, attackers separated them and intensified the assault. Those who tried to defend were beaten even more brutally. We were split apart and attacked individually. People were thrown to the ground and kicked repeatedly. Glasses were broken. Clothes were ripped. Shoes were torn. Everyone was injured.
With the help of local stall owners and bystanders, we somehow managed to escape and move toward the police station. Even then, mobile journalists continued to provoke, harass, and ask invasive questions, especially to the women in our group. Their behavior made it clear: they were not neutral observers.
Inside the police station, it did not stop. They followed us in. They kept recording us despite repeated requests to stop. No one at the gate stopped them. Even when we took shelter inside a room, they continued filming from outside and tried to enter.
The police initially remained silent. Only after pressure were these individuals removed. We asked to file a case. The police refused. They refused to take an FIR. They refused to take a GD. They offered no assistance. No immediate medical help. Nothing. Even while we were prevented from recording inside, the mobile journalists were allowed to continue.
We then contacted our families, friends, and colleagues. Activists, lawyers, and responsible journalists came forward to support us. After nearly three hours of pressure, the police agreed to take what they called an FIR. It took another hour to file. Later, through legal consultation, we learned the truth that it was not an FIR. It was not even a GD. It was merely documented as a complaint.
We then went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, received treatment, and collected medical reports. We returned home around 3:30 AM.
We are traumatized. We are trying to recover physically and mentally. But this attack was not just on us. This was an attack on our basic rights, our safety, our dignity. This was an attack on our constitutional rights as citizens. We demand a full investigation. We demand identification of the attackers. We demand justice. We demand safety. We demand accountability.
Kazi Muazzama Tasnim, Social Activist
Orchi Lohani, Artist
Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo, Artist-Curator
Amina Sultana, Human Rights Activist
Nirnoy H. Islam, Teacher and Trans Rights Activist
Hasibur Rahman, Human Rights Activist
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 