Tushar Baidya
Bangladesh
He/Him
Dhaka Pride + Inclusive Bangladesh
Tushar Kanti Baidya is a Bangladeshi educator, peacemaker and human rights activist from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is the founder of Inclusive Bangladesh and Dhaka Pride, and has volunteered for more than 15 years to advance the human rights, dignity and visibility of LGBTIQ+ communities in Bangladesh and beyond. His work focuses on developing creative, community-led and sustainable approaches to identifying human rights challenges and advancing locally grounded solutions.
Through his advocacy, Tushar promotes peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue, social inclusion and equal rights in contexts where LGBTIQ+ people continue to face stigma, discrimination and exclusion. In recognition of his contributions to peace, interfaith dialogue and human rights, Tushar received the Faith in the Commonwealth Peace Award in 2019. He was also named an APCOM Hero Award Honouree in 2021 under the Young Achiever category. Tushar is a fellow of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Commonwealth, the International Service for Human Rights, the Swedish Institute, Equitas, the Peacemakers Network and KAICIID.
Steps to Liberation
When the Flag Learned to Fly in Secret
After the 2016 murders of LGBTQI+ activists Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, Bangladesh’s LGBTQI+ movement faced intense fear and shrinking public space. Community members sustained the movement through underground organizing, mutual support, and online activism.
Building on these efforts, Dhaka Pride was launched as a virtual Pride initiative in 2021, reconnecting LGBTQI+ people across the country and restoring Bangladesh’s presence on the global Pride map. The story demonstrates how collective resilience, digital innovation, and community care enabled a marginalized movement to reclaim visibility, dignity, and hope in the face of ongoing risks.
