Fridae

LGBT rights activists in Bangladesh have expressed dismay at the government's decision to retain its British colonial-era law that criminalises sex between same-sex couples. Section 377 of the Bangladesh Penal Code, which "outlaws carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal", provides for life imprisonment, up to ten years imprisonment, and a fine.

Photo: International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) campaign in May 2013.  Boys of Bangladesh (BoB) Facebook

Bangladesh accepted 164 of a total 196 recommendations made by the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva on Friday. Among the measures rejected was a recommendation to abolish section 377 of the national penal code which criminalises consensual sex between same-sex couples.

According to an UN summary of the UPR meeting, Abdul Hannan, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Office at Geneva, told the council that his country could not accept recommendations that conflicted with “constitutional and legal provisions” or “socio-cultural values of the country”.

Gay rights organisation Boys of Bangladesh responded in a statement posted on its Facebook page saying: "We regret that the Government has rejected recommendation to abolish Section 377 which criminalises consensual same-sex relationship."

It added that the government already has an extensive HIV/AIDS program including men who have sex with men (MSM) and Hijras, the rejection indicates that it’s just to "avoid acknowledging human rights violations of sexual and gender minorities."

The group further added that decriminalising section 377 "is important because it can help bring social change" and called on the government to roactively stop intolerant groups from making inflammatory homophobic remarks, which have often results in violence towards LGBT community.