Society has a responsibility to its ‘hijra’ people

The people who are known as ‘hijras’ have become a nuisance to people everywhere in Bangladesh, thanks to absence of any government programme to rehabilitate them in mainstream society. According to a report of a vernacular daily yesterday, the inhabitants of the port city of Chattogram have become very annoyed because of their presence, be it on roads, in households, market places or marriage ceremony programmes.
If a family gets a new-born child and as soon as this news reaches them, a team of three or four hijras virtually swoops on the family demanding money. No, they do not beg for money. Their behaviour at the time is so unruly, you feel compelled to give them what they demand for.
In buses, they move with typical transgender gestures and until you give them some money, they would not leave you alone. If you give a Taka 5 note, they may demand more from you. Since they do not belong to the mainstream society, most people, moved by compassion for these ‘third gender’ people, help them.
But what is inhuman is that, cast out from society, many hijras also get involved in sex business and drug peddling for survival. Recently, we came across a piece of news from Chattogram about a gang of hijras who attacked a police outpost at Kalurghat and snatched two arrested drug peddlers from the possession of police. The attack was led by a transgender sister of one of the arrestees who was killed during the clash.
As society refuses to give these people and is unmindful of its duty to give them a decent life with dignified livelihood means, they are getting themselves involved in acts of the dark underworld. But society must recognise their rights and give them education like many societies in the world. Opportunities have to be created so that they can live a normal life in mainstream society.  
Before addressing their problems, the government must first know how they are in Bangladesh society. The latest census showed the hijra population in the country is 12,629. But reportedly many hijra and transgender groups said the numbers should be much higher – some citing as high as 500,000 even. For their rehabilitation, it is also vitally important to change the exclusive social attitude towards these people.