From the very beginning of our society, A group of people are being neglected and discriminated against by their own family -friends, relatives society for their gender, and this community has come to be known as Hijra or Eunuch. They are part of our family, society, and state but due to their different physical & behavioral changes they are being hated, neglected & disrespected by our society and state. They have proper rights to education, health, shelter, wealth, employment, and safety like others. However everywhere they became neglected and hated. None of the parents, relatives, or siblings wants to accept them. Thus they gradually Separated from their family and live a floating life. In order to fulfill basic needs, they are involved in various shameful professions ignoring shame and humiliation. Do shameful, Crazy, and uncivilized acts in different outwit. Yet life doesn’t stop, goes on. They are fighting for several years for their legal and fundamental human rights.
Third Gender-Transgender Bulbuli Learning Driving at Pathway Driving training center
However constitutional rights are ignored in maximum cases. Several human rights organizations, and government -non-government organizations expressed solidarity with their movement to speed up their movement.
A non-government organization named "Pathway" working with this community since 2016 to develop and uplift their livelihood. Wants to bring them back to the mainstream of society. "Pathway " has taken a long-term initiation and scheme to change the standard of living their lives especially providing free driving training, different technical and handicrafts training according to their skills and willing hood.
Third gender-Bulbuli Hijra receives the Driving license from Md Shahin executive director of pathway
As a result, many are leaving the traditional profession and focusing on technical training. For example, Bulbuli Hijra. She has taken complete training from Pathway driving training school and to get the Driving License of BRTA She got financial support from pathway. She chose the path of employment as a skilled driver. None other than skills and behavior training can do well for this neglected community to bring back the mainstream of society. In addition to providing rehabilitation and acceptance to their family the main turning point. Society and family should change their attitude toward them. Fundamentally, Islam considers people as male and female. Those who are Hijra or third gender are basically either female or male. So there is the no different rule on them. However, the characteristics or features that are prominent or extreme to the person will be considered of that gender. If the genitals are male, he is considered male or if the genitals are female, she is considered female. Islam has given proper respect to Hijra or the third gender. Islam had never discriminated against this community. Their worship will also be like common people.
This is the order of Islam. "They will have equal rights in property like other children,” said Islam. Also, perform the prayer, and fast according to their gender. After death, the inhuming process is the same as common people. So we should not hate them. We ought to love them and accept them as a part of our family, and society like us. Allah has created us as great human beings despite others creatures.
Watch the Interview of Bulbuli Hijra by Pathway
So we don’t have the right to neglect the creation of God. We have to change our point of view, these overlooked communities will be embodied in the mainstream of society and also conserve our dignity. So the state must be ensuring their basic needs also provide equal rights to falsify the state benefits like other enjoy. Nowadays we are heading toward Digitalization and becoming a progressive country in a different sector. So this is high time to take proper effective steps to uplift their livelihood. Make them skilled citizens.
According to Pathway's Executive Director Md. Shahin, family, society, and close relatives should always treat people of this neglected Hijra community well. Apart from negative views, everyone should be treated with kindness and attention should be paid to education, health and housing, and other basic rights that all of them have. This neglected Third Gender community should be utilized by training them by imparting various technical training, creating opportunities for equal rights in the workplace, and participating in all development programs of the state.
He called on all of them to come forward to remove unemployment in the country by giving them employment opportunities in various factories giving them equal rights in government jobs as well as private jobs without holding any hatred towards them. And said this country is mine and all of you. So this responsibility is not only mine but for all of us. All the financial institutions that exist in our country can provide financial assistance and business opportunities to the Hijras by providing small loans. In this regard, Pathway, a non-governmental development organization, has already taken initiatives to provide micro-loans to eliminate the unemployment of Hijras and make them financially independent, which can be a milestone in its long history. In the end, he said with great emotion that the people of the Hijra community are not our children. So, instead of pushing them out of the family, keep them close like other children. Because they are created by Almighty Creator Allah. These helpless children of yours and my family are today's transgender community. Md. Shahin has requested everyone to stay with Pathway to improve the quality of life of the Hijra community.
check out the Facilities for Third Gender from Pathway in Bangladesh