Meem Hazera, aged 45, the singular hijra or third-gender voter hailing from Kumarbarila village in Dhaka’s Nawabganj upazila, is eagerly anticipating participating in today’s national election alongside fellow citizens.
Expressing her thoughts, Meem stated, “Governments have overlooked us, leaving us devoid of fundamental rights. Despite the lack of attention towards us in the upcoming polls, I will exercise my voting right as a responsible citizen of this country. I am determined to cast my vote at the polling station on time.”
A scrutiny of the election agendas of seven prominent political parties reveals that most have not specifically addressed the needs of the hijra community.
The manifesto of Jamaat-e-Islami pledges to identify and support “genuine” hijras, offering rehabilitation programs and allocating special quotas for training and employment opportunities.
Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s manifesto vows to ensure meaningful and dignified representation in political engagement, decision-making processes, voter registration, healthcare, and equal access to social benefits for the third-gender/Hijra community.
In contrast, although the BNP’s manifesto focuses on prioritizing marginalized groups for social safeguards without discrimination, it does not mention the Hijras separately.
Similarly, the NCP’s manifesto does not distinctly mention hijras but promises legal protection against social discrimination, as well as provisions for education, healthcare, employment, voting rights, skill enhancement, and social protection for individuals with disabilities and disadvantaged groups, aiming to establish a society based on equality and human dignity.
A prominent official from a rights organization advocating for hijras remarked, “Hijras have long been neglected, evident in the lack of specific plans for them in the manifestos. This neglect underscores the absence of dedicated initiatives for this group of citizens.”
Members of the hijra community in various regions highlighted the lack of engagement from candidates in the run-up to the elections.
Tanisha Yasmin Chaiti, a 34-year-old hijra residing in Dhaka, commented, “No candidate has approached us or outlined concrete plans for our community.”
Chaiti recalled a 2013 notification that had initiated the formulation of a law under the Ministry of Social Welfare but lamented its failure to be enacted. She emphasized the importance of a robust law backed by the state to ensure consistent benefits from governmental institutions.
Last October, Light House, an NGO supporting Hijras, reported the introduction of a monthly stipend of Tk 650 per individual by the Department of Social Services for hijras, benefiting a limited 3,500 individuals at that time.
Despite official figures from the 2022 census by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics indicating 12,629 hijras in the country, unofficial estimates suggest a higher number exceeding 50,000.
A significant portion of the hijra community faces challenges in voter registration, with Election Commission data indicating 1,220 hijra voters across 272 out of 300 constituencies for the current election, including 114 in Dhaka.
Many hijras have resorted to registering as male or female voters due to complexities in the registration process for hijras, reflecting the absence of a comprehensive policy for their inclusion.
In the forthcoming election, Anwara Islam Rani, a rights activist representing the hijra community, initially contested as an independent candidate in the Rangpur-3 constituency but later withdrew from the race to advocate for constitutional recognition of reserved parliamentary seats for all marginalized groups, including hijras.
Rani emphasized, “We strive for dignified participation in mainstream society rather than being a burden. Constitutional acknowledgment of reserved seats is essential for our inclusive representation.”
Reflecting on her campaign experiences, Rani expressed a sense of fear during the current election, contrasting with her previous fearless interactions with the community.
She noted that while around 100 hijras reside in the Rangpur-3 area, only five are registered as voters.
