That for Bangladeshi liberals, “the culture” and “the people” are boogeymen that shield capitalism and the state from any criticism, becomes the most ironic when the topic is mental health, and the impulse of these people is to blame mentally ill people for not seeking help.
Who listens when mental health struggles disrupt daily life?
Ask a Bangladeshi newspaper reader to picture a mental health story. Perhaps a psychiatrist’s quote comes to mind, a helpline number, or a headline about a student’s death.
Why social theories become ‘scripture’ for Bangladesh’s self-styled Left
There is a ‘curious intellectual confidence’ among Bangladesh’s self-styled leftists. They have the confidence of someone who has read three-quarters of a Europ
Mental Wealth
TL;DR • When it comes to mental health, our society approaches it like we did with physical health 50 years ago. We only think about it when something goes wrong. • To the wider public, mental heal…
Bangladeshi Street Fakeclaiming — miftah
Fakeclaiming isn't a purely online Western phenomenon. A lot of “pro-social” Bangladeshi monetized vlogger and “citizen journalists” act as if filming random disabled beggars in the streets being able to dodge some obstacles, recognize light or being able to walk after forcibly having their mobility aids taken away is doing some grand justice to “real” disabled people.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) | Worker of the world, Unite
Bangladeshi Queer Manifesto A Manifesto On Queer Vigilantism by Sahara Chowdhury Rabil
The author analyses how queerphobia works as a mechanism of sexual exploitation.
The Code of Shame: Stigmatisation of Male Rape Victims in Bangladesh | OHRH
Image credit: Yosi Prihantoro via Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-gray-long-sleeve-shirt-and-black-pants-sitting-on-white-floor-tiles-gXUEQEtpjMs
Beyond Hate Speech and Misinformation: Facebook and the Rohingya Genocide in Myanmar
The case of the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar has increasingly come to illustrate the maximum evil of Facebook and its parent company, Meta. Yet most analyses of this case share a distinctive featur...
Beyond Hate Speech and Misinformation: Facebook and the Rohingya Genocide in Myanmar
The case of the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar has increasingly come to illustrate the maximum evil of Facebook and its parent company, Meta. Yet most analyses of this case share a distinctive featur...
Myanmar: The social atrocity: Meta and the right to remedy for the Rohingya - Amnesty International
Beginning in August 2017, the Myanmar security forces undertook a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims. This report is based on an in-depth investigation into Meta (formerly Facebook)’s role in the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Rohingya. Meta’s algorithms proactively amplified and promoted content which incited violence, hatred, and discrimination against […]
Islamization of Bangladesh’s Electoral Politics and its Anti-trans Implications - শুদ্ধস্বর
As the aspirations behind Bangladesh’s July uprising failed to materialize, Trans Bangladeshi citizens must rely on coalition-building efforts to make their voices heard.
Exploring the status of persons with disabilities among minority and indigenous communities in Bangladesh - Minority Rights Group
This resource is an excellent point of reference for those seeking to advance the rights of people with disabilities belonging to minority and indigenous communities in Bangladesh.
Prevalence and experience of violence against persons with disabilities in Bangladesh: findings from a nationwide mixed-method study
Current prevalence of disability in Bangladesh stands at 7.14%. Due to various misconceptions, stigma, and lack of policies, they are more vulnerable to violence and abuse from perpetrators. However, there is a paucity of research on the prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual violence in the country. To address this knowledge gap, the current study aims to estimate the prevalence and explore the experiences of emotional abuse, physical, and sexual violence of persons with disabilities with their coping strategies. This study adopted a mixed-method sequential design comprising qualitative and quantitative components. A total of 5000 persons with disabilities were interviewed during the survey, and mini-ethnographic case studies were conducted with 51 purposively selected persons with disabilities from all eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analysis was performed for quantitative data. Qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis. The study concludes that the lifetime prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse is 68.9%, 26.6%, and 11.5%, respectively. Male participants were more prone to experience sexual abuse than females for both lifetimes (male: 12.7% & female: 10.3%) and within the last 12 months before the survey (male: 6.6% & female: 5.1%). Neighbours and close family members were found to be perpetrators of emotional and physical violence, whereas immediate family members were the perpetrators of sexual violence. Even though participants shared several coping mechanisms, equal to or less than 0.5% sought help from a counsellor to cope with the trauma. Results from the study correspond to the earlier studies with implications for future research and urgent policy reform. Although women are more vulnerable to experiencing different forms of violence, men with disabilities are no different. However, this remains unseen and unheard. To reduce the prevalence of violence against this marginalised group, a coordinated and collaborative approach is required targeting nationwide sensitisation, easy access to help-seeking centres, and adequate policy implementation.
