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Gay Life in Bangladesh

Arriving in Dhaka, the capitol of Bangladesh, is an instant immersion into a dense capitalistic present time that’s linked to an equally intense tradition of family and Islam. Anywhere a visitor looks there are hoards of people–dark faces, beautiful and weathered, young and old. But nowhere will one easily see anything that resembles a gay community. Homosexual life is a stealth subculture that thrives in secrecy yet enjoys the benefits of permissive friendship intimacy. However, for a first time gay visitor finding “Gay Life in Bangladesh” among the millions in Dhaka is not difficult thanks to the internet and extensive friendship networks.

Gay Bangladesh

Guest writer Martin Forman opens a small window onto the sly, furtive and suspicious gay ‘scene’ in the city of Sylhet, Bangladesh. This is followed by a level-headed essay by Afsan Chowdury, a native author, who writes: “there are gays in our Bengali society, and there is no sense in suppressing and stifling it.”