Bangladesh does not support the recommendations of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to provide rights for lesbian and gay people.
It has also opposed the idea of comprehensive sexuality education programmes put forward by the ICPD.
“It goes against our values. Like many other countries including those Muslims and Christian, we opposed it,” Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Abdul Momen told the Dhaka Tribune.
The ICPD proposed to provide rights to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) and comprehensive sexuality education for 12-13 year-old children.
In the 69th UN General Assembly, there would be an event on the ICPD’s recommendations on September 22 and it is expected to be a new battle ground since China, Russia, India and many other countries opposed it.
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and Health Secretary MM Neazuddin will attend the ICPD event.
In the sixth Asian and Pacific Population Conference held in Bangkok last year, Bangladesh expressed its reservations on recommendations on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
The ICPD recommends to “work to reduce vulnerability and eliminate discrimination based on sex, gender, age, race, caste, class, migrant status, disability, HIV status, sexual orientation and gender identity, or other status.
It also expresses “grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination committed against individuals on the grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”
SOGI
Under the SOGI, the ICPD promoted the rights of the LGBT people. But Bangladesh strictly opposed it.
They put the SOGI texts in a sugar-coated manner, Momen said.
“If you look at the texts, they talked about ‘eliminate discrimination’ or ‘acts of violence,’ which sound very good but if read carefully, one can find that it actually preaches rights of the LGBT,” he said.
“It goes against our values and laws, and we cannot it endorse it,” the official added.
The ICPD proposed to provide rights to a person who has sexual relations with a person of the same sex. “But it is unacceptable,” he said.
“Even in the US, out of 50 states, only 16 allow rights of the LGBT.”
Sexuality education
The ICPD proposed to provide rights to children aged 12-13 years of comprehensive sexuality education programmes, education and employment opportunities and opportunities to participate in decision-making.
“If we allow comprehensive sexuality education programmes, then we have to teach our school-going children, with video presentation, how to have sex,” Momen said.
Only a few countries and a section of the UN Secretariat support the idea, he said.
