Traditional third-genre hijras are supported by protesting individuals, but trans applicants are not.
Dhaka University has been persuaded to remove a trans enrollment quota by protesting Bangladeshi students.
The nation’s hijra ( third gender ) community, which includes intersex, trans, and many people who have undergone castration as a form of religious sacrifice, had also established this quota.
Two female candidates—each of whom is also described as transgender—are running for congress at the same time as the university’s action. Urmi is a member for the Bangladesh Supreme Party in Gazipur. In Rangpur, Anwara Islam Rani is running independently.
Rani was actually assaulted on December 22 while running for office.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France ( JMBF), a human rights organization, denounced the attack on Rani and objected to the change in the undergraduate enrollment quota. According to JMBF, both actions violate both the United Nations ‘ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Bangladesh’s Constitution.
To ensure that sexual minorities had access to higher education, Dhaka University implemented a” transgender/hijra” quota for undergraduate admissions in the previous academic year ( 2022–2023 ). Individuals who JMBF described as “reactionary Muslims” organized a rally against the limit after it was published on December 18 for the 2023–2024 time.
The Front Page reported that the limit change was made to exclude” those who have voluntarily transitioned or who identify as a different female despite having thoroughly female or male brain parts,” as demanded by the “human network” of activists. The limit will still be in place for” those who are female diverse another than male and female by birth and character,” though.
The anti-trans protesters did not object to a limit for hijra applicants, according to The Dhaka Tribune.” The students involved in the animal chain said that the Bangladeshi constitution should give the underprivileged communities higher education opportunities through rationa,” the newspaper reported. They stated that the university may “ensure suitable facilities and a healthy atmosphere for hijra community students on the campus.”
While Rani was running for office in Rangpur town on December 22, she was attacked by Jatiya opposition party leaders and activists.
Some employees and supporters of the Jatiya Party grabbed the side device from her hands and began pushing her as she spoke to a group of 20 to 25 people. After abusing and threatening to kill her, they chased her aside.
Rani declared she would remain fighting despite the harm, which she predicted would lead to success.
The establishment president of JMBF, human rights attorney Shahanur Islam, vented his rage and denounced the two situations in a public speech. They” set a bad case of the rising conservative forces brought on by the nation’s lack of democracy and the rule of legislation,” he claimed.
Every educational establishment in the nation, including Dhaka University, was required to have quotas for back sexual minorities.
In order to end all forms of discrimination against sexual minorities, he likewise demanded that those who attacked Rani be swiftly detained, given a good test, and punished. He also called for the repeal of the Penal Code’s anti-gay Article 377.
