Behind Bangladesh's openly gay activist, a story of closeted fear from radical Islamists

In the Islamic country of Bangladesh where same sex relations is considered a crime and sin, Xulhaz Mannan was happily and openly gay for over two decades. As an advocate of``human right to love'', Mannan published the country's first LGBT magazine Roopbaan-- named after a Bengali folk character symbolising love-- to promote tolerance towards sexual and gender diversity. When people asked him how he managed to live such a carefree life in Bangladesh, Mannan's generic reply would be: "It's possible and it's great."

In the growing atmosphere of intolerance which has claimed lives of bloggers, professors, publishers, activists and minority communities for being 'anti-Islamic', Mannan's activism for LGBT rights is the latest casualty.

On Monday, Mannan and his friend theater actor Mahbub Tonoy were hacked to death by six unknown assailants in the former's house in Dhaka. The ghastly murder was owned by Ansar al Islam or Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) an affiliate of al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent who claimed to have punished the two for `practicing and promoting' homosexuality.

A pioneering rights activist, Mannan was aware of the impending risks in living as a ``self-identified gay man'' nevertheless took solace in the support offered by liberal thinkers, NGOs and individuals online. The same online platforms also brought an onsulaught of death and abusive threats.

Less than two weeks before his murder, Roopbaan group had posted the invitation for this year's Pride parade and received threats on from anonymous Islamist radicals who warned of beating, killing and molesting those attending the event. Since 2014, when it was first published with the help of USAID, Roopban, began a trend of organising the first pride parade which coincided with the Pohela Boishakh, Bengali new year celebrations held on April 14. Following the threats, police eventually withdrew permissions for the event and the rally was cancelled.

It is not known whether those who killed Mannan and Tonoy were the same group who had threatened online or if they were members of ABT. Local police officials said that investigations are currently on and no arrests have been made.

The twin murders have evoked outrage from US authorities including Secretary of State John Kerry and US ambassador in Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat putting pressure on the Bangladesh government to crackdown against the radical Islamists. Mannan worked with the US embassy for eight years before joining USAID last year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blamed the local Jamaat-e-Islami and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for the murders. The ruling government denies any presence of global terrorist groups al Qaeda or Islamic State, which have claimed responsibility for the series of isolated killings and small bombings since 2013 (see graph).

A senior Inspector General of Police while talking to dna also denied al Qaeda members behind the murders of LGBT activists. ``These are not elements of IS and al Qaeda. They are homegrown terrorists who are targeting and attacking progressive people not aligned with their line of thinking.'' In a feature written for Pink Pages, an online Indian LGBT magazine, last year, Mannan described in detail his life and work as an LGBT activist. Born in a privileged family -- he is a cousin of former Foreign Minister Dipu Moni -- Mannan happily embraced his sexuality and never faced any homophobic reactions. Although he received no personal threats he said his work and activities like publishing Roopbaan and organising the pride parade did bring in harsh and brutal reactions from the majority population.

As a leading LGBT activist, Mannan and other associations also conducted the first survey in Bangladesh where over 500 individuals identified as homosexuals living in constant fear. Roopbaan's work was to bridge the divisions in sexual and gender diversity by making the LGBT community "more visible, continuous social dialogues, effective communication, community mobilisation and awareness programs using arts and culture."' Mannan however rued the fact there was not much support and few wanted to be involved in forcing the government to repeal the sodomy law section 377 criminalising homosexuality. As if conjecturing the fate of those who did, Mannan wrote,

"In the current times when there's growing trend of shunning the voices of the 'different', free thinkers being hacked to death, who would volunteer to risk their lives for sexual freedom?"