HC issues rule to take legal measures over transgender marriage incident at Dhakeshwari Temple

The High Court has issued a rule seeking to know why the inaction of the authorities over allegations of forgery in national identity card and use of false identity in the transgender marriage incident at Dhakeshwari Temple will not be declared illegal.

At the same time, the rule has also sought to know why a direction will not be given to investigate the allegation and take legal steps as well as necessary measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

The High Court bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Fatema Anwar issued this rule on Tuesday (September 29).

Earlier, reports regarding the marriage incident at Dhakeshwari Temple were published in various media. Attaching these reports, Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Mesbah Uddin Chowdhury filed a writ in the High Court on August 30.

The secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the law secretary, the inspector general of police, the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the deputy police commissioner of Lalbagh Division and others concerned have been made respondents in the writ.

The writ application said that a marriage ceremony was held at Dhakeshwari Temple on July 10 presenting Tasnuva Anan alias Shishir as the bride with Liton Chandra Biswas. Later, it was publicised in various media as the first transgender marriage in Bangladesh.

The application further said that the number used in the national identity card in the name of Shishir Biswas that was given to the temple authorities during the ceremony belongs to a person named Md. Zahidul Islam. According to the allegation, a fake identity card in the name of Shishir Biswas was prepared by changing the name, photo, parents’ names and date of birth using the national identity card number of Zahidul Islam.

Lawyer Mohammad Ahsan conducted the hearing on behalf of the writ. Lawyer Ishrat Hasan was with him.

Lawyer Ishrat Hasan said that the matter is not limited only to transgender marriage; there is also an allegation of preparing a fake identity card by using another person’s national identity card number. Alongside, questions have arisen regarding the recognition of such a relationship which is not recognised under the existing laws of Bangladesh. He said that the writ has been filed for these reasons.