Boys of Bangladesh facts for kids
Logo of Boys of Bangladesh
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| Abbreviation | BoB |
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| Formation | 2 November 2002 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose | LGBT rights for Bangladeshi people |
| Headquarters | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
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Region served
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Bangladesh |
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Official language
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English, Bengali |
Boys of Bangladesh, also known as BoB, is an old online group from Bangladesh. It started in 2002 as a Yahoo! Group. The group helps people in Bangladesh who are part of the LGBT community. This means people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
BoB is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is run by volunteers and is not officially registered or funded. For many years, the Yahoo! Group was a main way for people to connect. Besides online chats, BoB also held social events and parties. At first, BoB was not involved in politics. They focused on social support rather than changing laws.
Contents
How Boys of Bangladesh Started
BoB began as an online Yahoo! Group in late 2002. It was a place for people to connect and find friends. One of the founders was Quazi Haque, who was born in Dhaka. He wanted to create a support network for LGBT people in Bangladesh.
However, Yahoo! closed the group down by the end of 2002. But BoB reopened on January 4, 2003. It has been active ever since. Over time, the group changed its name to Boys of Bangladesh.
Early Years and Challenges
In its early days, BoB was mostly an online group. They held private, small social events for some members. The group avoided political topics.
This changed in May 2005. BoB tried to speak out by sending a letter to The Daily Star newspaper. The letter was about the first International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. This day raises awareness about unfair treatment of LGBT people. Tanveer Rouf led this effort. The letter talked about the situation for LGBT people in Bangladesh. It also highlighted their main problems. Most responses to the letter were negative. Because of this, BoB decided to stay out of politics again.
Around the same time, Boys of Bangladesh worked with Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK). ASK is a human rights group in Bangladesh. They worked together on a survey about different sexual identities. By 2006, the number of BoB members grew a lot. However, a state of emergency in the country stopped BoB from holding events for a while.
Growing Public Presence
In May 2008, BoB celebrated the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). They held the event at a café in Dhaka. This was the first time BoB appeared openly in public as a group of LGBT activists. The café even knew and approved of their event.
In February 2009, BoB organized the first LGBT-related workshop in Bangladesh. They got help from the Norwegian National Association for Lesbian and Gay Liberation. The workshop was called "Workshop on Sexual Diversity, Partnership Building and Networking." In November of that year, they held another event that was well-received.
Later, Boys of Bangladesh got an office space. This office became their main headquarters and a resource center. They put up a rainbow flag at the office. This showed that they existed and supported the worldwide LGBT movement. It was also the first time a rainbow flag was displayed publicly in Bangladesh.
In October 2010, BoB took part in "Under the Rainbow." This was a cultural event started by the Goethe-Institut in Bangladesh. It aimed to discuss LGBT issues in the country. The five-day festival included movie screenings, art shows, and music. It brought together important human rights activists from Bangladesh and other countries.
In April 2011, BoB held a conference with other groups. These included Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS) and South Asian Human Rights Commission of Marginalized ... and Genders (SAHRCMSG). BoB also helped make a short film called Without Any Window of His Own. This film was later shown at a festival in Dhaka's Central Public Library. In 2012, BoB organized more events. These included "Let's Talk" workshops and another IDAHO celebration. International guests also attended these events.
Images for kids
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Members of BoB celebrating IDAHO in 2010
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Workshop organised by BoB in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Boys of Bangladesh para niños
- LGBT rights in Bangladesh
