On the morning of 19th May, several news and television outlets reported that Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite security force in Bangladesh, had raided a gathering at Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka division and detained 28 individuals.

The reports mentioned that the gathering took place at a rented community centre and RAB raided the place after complaints from local people.

In the press briefing that soon followed, RAB-10 Captain Jahangir Hossain Matobbor claimed that the detainees were ‘homosexuals’ who gathered in the community centre to engage in ‘homosexuality’.

Though RAB could not provide any evidence as to their claim, all the news outlets went amok and ran stories directly associating the youths with homosexuality. What the media has also forgotten is the consequences their unethical and unprofessional actions may have. Read more via Gay Star News