The distorted plight of the Bangladeshi transgender community: A serious error in policy making.

Correcting the existing government policy and creating gender consciousness in government institutions that cater to the needs of hijras is the only way to give them a better life.
During a meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on May 26, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Social Welfare recommended that despite the various facilities provided by the government, measures should be taken to prevent “harassment” by third gender persons on the streets.
A press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat said that the committee recommended taking necessary steps after conducting medical examinations to identify “genuine” third gender persons, issuing identity cards and holding a meeting with the Home Ministry to prevent “harassment”.
This development raises two questions before us: 1) If these “facilities” are really so accessible, why are we not able to see more transgender people in job roles? 2) If they are even accessible, why are more transgender people not able to get their national validation along with these “facilities”?
This is where the paradox of recognising the transgender community lies.
To find the answers to these questions, let’s start with the first issue – the policy itself. On January 26, 2014, the Ministry of Social Welfare announced the recognition of Hijras in its gazette in a single sentence: “The Government of Bangladesh has recognised the Hijra community of Bangladesh as belonging to the Hijra gender.” However, the policy had a fundamental flaw.
When you think of the word “hijra”, you probably imagine it is a person who is neither male nor female, or both, due to their biology. Most people think they are “intersex”, which means a person is born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not fit the definition of “female” or “male”.
But in Bangladesh, “hijra” is used as an umbrella term to designate a group of individuals that may include intersex individuals, eunuchs, and transgender women (assigned as male at birth). This group lives as a community or “family” under the guidance of a community leader or “guru.” Therefore, hijra is not a gender, but a community. This is where the policy fails, as it does not clearly define the diverse gender categories under the term “hijra.” Individuals with different gender identities, such as transgender women and transgender men, are excluded because they are not part of the hijra culture – yet they remain vulnerable to social shame, discrimination, and violence.
As a result, various government agencies have been allowed to carry out the identification process in the way they see fit. Bangladesh’s national identity card now has a “hijra” category in addition to “male” and “female.” In addition to “male” and “female,” Bangladesh passports have a third category: “other.” “Third gender” is now an option on many government forms (such as those for opening bank accounts at government institutions). While this may seem like progress to many, one cannot underestimate how ignorant these government institutions are about sexual orientation and gender identity. This, in turn, reinforces many deep-rooted misconceptions about the term “hijra” among the general public.
But an even more sinister consequence of this lack of awareness was seen during physical examinations, according to a memo issued by the Ministry of Health, which said “genuine hijras were to be identified through medical examinations.” A 2016 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) found that after the Ministry of Social Welfare invited hijras to apply for government jobs in December 2014, several trans individuals said they were harassed and asked inappropriate questions about their gender identity and sexuality.
Doctors instructed non-medical hospital staff, such as custodians, to touch the genitals of hijras while groups of staff and other patients watched and harassed them – sometimes in private rooms, sometimes in public spaces – during these so-called “examinations.” Some hijras were asked to return multiple times over the course of several weeks to undergo additional testing. Moreover, private photographs of 12 trans women (who passed the interview and were instructed to undergo medical examinations) were released in print and online platforms, claiming that these “hijras” were actually men who were fraudulently obtaining government jobs and privileges.
These images further fuelled the exclusion and harassment of Hijras, affecting their means of earning a livelihood. Many who engaged in sex work reported that they lost clients, while others changed their appearance to look more masculine in the hope of finding a job. And when they changed their appearance, they were ostracised from their own communities – these trans individuals found no support system or a roof over their heads as most of them were shunned by their biological families.
This instance of privacy abuse and harassment resulted in Hijra community members being reluctant to obtain their National Verification ID as citizens of Bangladesh, preventing them from opening bank accounts, holding passports, and most importantly, getting a job. As a result, most trans individuals and Hijra community members, despite wanting access to better opportunities, resort to begging to survive. Some even use violent language and stubbornness to meet their daily income threshold.
The Ministry of Social Welfare has implemented several social inclusion programmes for Hijras under its social security programme, including a monthly allowance for those aged 50 years and above, scholarships for “Hijra children” and skills and capacity development training to engage them in income-generating enterprises. According to Home Ministry data, 1,920 out of a total of 13,000 members of the Hijra community have received training this fiscal year. Only those aged 50 years and above are being given an allowance of 600 taka per month.
But Hijra community members claim they rarely receive this allowance or skills training from government agencies. This raises the question: where is all the money allocated for these initiatives going?
The Ministry of Social Welfare is looking for a way to keep members of the Hijra community off the streets, but they don’t realise they don’t have to go very far to find it. The solution lies in fixing the policy and building gender consciousness in the government institutions created to serve this section of citizens. Without this, social awareness campaigns will be futile. When the general public sees them in roles beyond just beggars and sex workers, it also becomes easier for society to accept them as fellow members.
Bangladesh has done a progressive duty by recognising members of the Hijra community as citizens, but it is still limited to papers. Without creating proper channels for them to access opportunities like other citizens, this recognition is nothing more than a sham.
Courtesy : Hindi News