Renowned LGBTQ activists Xulhaz Mannan and Tanay Mojumdar are the most recent victims of the Islamic militants’ attack against freedom of speech in Bangladesh. Xulhaz Mannan worked at the US embassy and Tanay Mojumdar was the editor of Roopbaan, the only LGBTQ magazine in Bangladesh. The terrorists had entered their apartment as undercover mailmen and upon entering their home, they used their machetes to brutally hack the victims to death.

Terror against freedom of speech has been on the rise recently and this is as a result of the Islamic extremist sector of Al-Qaeda that resides in Bangladesh gaining momentum. In the past year, bloggers and editors of secular and atheist blogs have been hacked to death on various occasions. It is evident that the extremists aim to attack human rights through striking fear into the people of Bangladesh, and the first task on their agenda is freedom of speech. Without the protection of basic human rights, the citizens of Bangladesh are left vulnerable to the hands of extremists.

Throughout Bangladesh, homosexuality is a criminalized act that is punishable by the law. As a result, this has historically forced members of the LGBTQ community to hide their authentic identities in order to avoid legal and social persecution from their communities.

However, quite recently strides are being made for the LGBTQ community by the LGBTQ activists. The activists are coming out in public and celebrating their authentic identities. They are using their agency to work with NGOs in an effort to create a dialogue around LGBTQ issues. The community is growing and gaining visibility, and with relentless efforts from activists, they are steering the direction of their communities towards change and acceptance.

The government of Bangladesh has failed to appropriately address and condemn these acts of terror. Without legal protection for activists, it has been proven to be an extremely dangerous journey for the activists to live with their authentic identities, and exercise their right to freedom of speech. It is fundamental that the Bangladeshi government intervenes to protect the basic human right, which is freedom of speech, and to validate and protect the rights of the LGBTQ community.

The deaths of the activists will not be forgotten, instead, in the face of these tragedies, citizens of Bangladesh will continue to move forward and progress towards an inclusive society with equality for all individuals. Communities cannot fall prey to extremists and allow their agendas to succeed by buckling under fear. It is of great importance that individuals continue to stay true to their authentic identities and exercise their freedom of speech; this will be the honest tribute to Xulhaz Mannan and Tanay Mojumdar, as well as each individual around the world who has been persecuted for exercising their basic human rights.