The hijra community of Jashore hopes for smooth voting. As the 13th National Parliament Election approaches, the hijra community of Jashore has shown interest in the election like other ordinary people. They are thinking about their rights and future leadership.

From standing in line to voting, the hijra community of Jashore wants to go through every step smoothly. This is their expectation in the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election.

Various issues including their rights, politics, leadership, and voting are coming up in the conversations of the hijras themselves. As citizens of this country, they want to exercise their voting rights smoothly.

They want to exercise their voting rights peacefully without any kind of harassment and the future Bangladesh will be governed by competent leadership.

They also brought up an unexpected incident with the transgender community at the Islamia Government Primary School in Jashore in the 12th National Parliament Election.

A transgender named Zahur Hossain came to vote at that polling station and was subjected to an unexpected situation. After being mistreated and thrown out of the polling station, he was able to vote with the help of journalists and NGO workers. Transgender people do not want such a situation anymore.

In addition to various types of family and social deprivation, they also regret not being able to vote as their own identity. Although a portion of the transgender people of Jashore can vote as their own gender identity in the 12th National Parliament Election through the amendment, many are deprived of that privilege.

A total of 650 transgender people from eight upazilas, including 155 in Jashore, are living in poverty or extreme poverty due to lack of adequate opportunities for education, employment or work.

Deprived of education, jobs, and opportunities in both rural and urban areas, the hijras of Jessore have been living a depressed and inhuman life for many years. In addition to family and social deprivation, the hijras live on a nominal allowance. Like the rest of the country, the hijra community in Jessore also exercises its right to vote as a woman or a man.

Even after 55 years of independence, there is frustration and regret among this community as no government has taken any effective steps regarding the right of the hijra community to vote in their own identity. Awareness has emerged among them about voting in their own identity.

The hijra community of Jashore wants to vote in their own identity in the future and exercise their right to vote without any hindrance at the polling station. Zahur Hossain, a hijra, said, I was harassed at the polling station during the 12th National Parliament election, I was not allowed to vote.

We vote with the help of a journalist and an NGO worker. We are citizens of this country, we want to vote without any obstacles. Maya Biswas, a transgender, said, I have been voting as a woman, but we want to vote in our own identity. So, when new voters are recruited in the future, this should be taken into account. Also, we do not want any harassment at the polling station.

Tapsee De Chandni said, We have been voting as a woman or a man, but we have our own identity, we want to vote in that identity. Let us be given that opportunity in the future. We want to vote without any obstacles. Golam Mustafa Neel said, My family and relatives have been insulted and humiliated by neighbors at various times because of me. I had no friends in educational institutions.

I have never received sincerity from teachers like other students. As citizens of the country, we want to exercise our right to vote in our own identity and without any obstacles, free from harassment.

Rubaidul Haque Sumon, coordinator of Arpan Manab Sangstha Jashore, an NGO on transgender rights, said that Rani Hijra is running as an independent candidate in Rangpur.

Despite not getting adequate education and job opportunities, Hijras in different parts of the country, including Jashore, are working as entrepreneurs and choosing various types of work. This is proof that Hijras can do something if they get opportunities or support. People from the Hijra community want to live with self-respect.

In the revised list that the Election Commission gave in the 12th National Parliament election, some Hijras have been made separate voters.

However, not everyone has been included. Due to which most Hijras have to vote as women and men.
Until the revised list that the Election Commission made in the 12th National Parliament election, the Hijra community had to vote as women or men in all the elections held. A separate voter list should definitely be made for Hijras of different gender identities.

In addition, transgender people are being harassed and humiliated at polling stations. Everyone, including civil society and the administration, must come forward to prevent these undesirable situations from arising.