A prominent Bangladeshi trans feminist, gender and sexual rights activist and nurse was dropped from an international forum on diversity following intense anti-LGBTQI+ mob pressure and online mobilisation opposing her participation.

Ho Chi Minh Islam had been scheduled to participate in the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026, organised by the Centre for Governance Studies, on 5 October 2026, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She was to be part of a session titled “Governing Diverse Societies.” However, following public opposition to her participation and an escalating wave of hostility targeting transgender and LGBTQI+ identities, she was dropped from the programme.