Fazlur Rahman Raju | SabrangIndia

Is Bangladesh on the cusp of electing its first transgender MP?

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 07:33:02 +0000

The MPs elected to the parliament during the polls will vote among themselves to elect the 50 reserved MPs on February 17

Members of Bangladesh’s transgender community gather to participate at a campaign titled, ‘Open Air (Khola Haowa),’ in different areas of Dhaka University on November 11, 2018 Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune

In the aftermath of the parliamentary elections, nominations for the reserved seats for women are being sought after, with some pleasantly surprising candidates.

Awami League Deputy Office Secretary Biplob Barua have confirmed that eight members of the transgender community have filed their nominations with the party.

Arifa Yasmin Moyuri, one of the aspirants, had led a transgender delegation in September 2018 to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to thank her for removing socio-economic barriers to the community.

Transgenders buying nomination forms at the Awami League president’s office in Dhanmondi on January 16, 2019 | Dhaka Tribune

Moyuri is the president of “Siri Samaj Kalyan Sangstha”, a transgender welfare organization based in Jamalpur.

Falguni, another aspirant, said: “We are citizens of Bangladesh but we have no representation in the parliament. There is no one from our community who can understand and raise our concerns. That is why we are running for the seats.”

Bangladesh’s transgender community, colloquially referred as “hijra,” had been neglected for decades. An estimated 10,000 to half a million – of Bangladesh’s population of about 160 million – belong to the hijra community.

The Awami League government has made great strides in improving the living and working conditions of the transgender community through numerous causes and actions. The third gender is acknowledged in all government official documentation and they are provided with equal opportunities. The competition to be elected to the parliament is but the latest step.

The MPs elected to the parliament during the polls will vote among themselves to elect the 50 reserved MPs on February 17.

Awami League will nominate to 43 seats, the Jatiya Party will seat four, BNP will seat one, and independent coalitions will seat two.

On March 30, 2015, Labannya Hijra witnessed the murder of secular blogger Washikur Rahman, by Islamist radicals, on a Dhaka street. Labannya accosted the attackers and her courageous intervention led to the arrest of two men—who later confessed to the killing.

After Labannya’s heroic actions, the government announced plans to recruit hijras as traffic police— a move welcomed widely. Furthermore, the central bank instructed financial institutions to spend a portion of their corporate social responsibility funds for the welfare of the transgender community.

Courtesy: https://www.dhakatribune.com/

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Bangladesh: Can minority communities expect a peaceful election this time?

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 09:47:25 +0000

The latest attack took place on Friday night in Thakurgaon, where eight houses belonging to a Hindu family were gutted in a fire in Sadar upazila, causing Tk5 lakh worth of damage

Local people visit the site of incident where eight houses belonging to a Hindu minority family, was gutted by a fire in the early hours of Friday, December 21, 2018 Dhaka Tribune

While the nation has been gearing up to vote in a new government on Sunday, there have been several reports of violent attacks across the country – on election campaigns, offices, and sometimes, on the candidates themselves.

Some of the victims of these attacks were reportedly members of minority communities, and it is claimed that the attacks were aimed at inciting communal violence ahead of the general election, slated for December 30.

The latest of such attacks took place on Friday night in Thakurgaon, where eight houses belonging to a Hindu family were gutted in a fire in Sadar upazila, causing Tk5 lakh worth of damage.

Local political leaders blamed rival parties for trying to instigate communal violence and disrupt the election process. However, the local fire department and upazila administration said it was merely an accident, which the political leaders were trying to take advantage of.
Earlier on December 16, four houses belonging to local Hindu families were set on fire by unknown assailants in the middle of the night at Sonagazi upazila of Feni, resulting in damages worth Tk10 lakh.

Local police said they were looking into the case to find out who had done it, and why.

So far, no evidence has been found that these incidents were deliberate and aimed at stoking communal violence before the election.

Yet, the minority communities of the country are still dreading attacks – given the history of violence against them in Bangladesh.

According to Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad (Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council), around 380 people belonging to minority communities have been attacked between January and August this year.

The number of attacks and incidents of violence on members of the minority communities stood at 1,471 in 2016 and 1,004 in 2017.

The historical trend
Minority communities in Bangladesh have faced a shocking amount of violence during election periods, according to community members and rights activists.

In many cases, the violence forced members of minority communities to leave the country to escape persecution.

Advocate Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, said since 1990, elections are not a festival for minority communities, but a terrible catastrophe as they come under attack.

The 2008 elections were an exception, as minority communities did not face any major violence then, he added.

According to a study conducted by Dhaka University Professor Abul Barkat, between 1964 and 2013, around 11.3 million Hindus left Bangladesh due to religious persecution and discrimination.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune about the main reasons behind the exodus, Prof Barkat said the biggest reason is that minority communities do not feel secure in Bangladesh.

During the regime of the BNP-led alliance from 2001 to 2006, minority communities, especially Hindus, became a major target. Hundreds of Hindus were killed, and hundreds of temples and idols were vandalized and burned.

At that time, rights activists throughout the country protested against the violence and urged the government to bring justice to the victims.

After the Awami League returned to power in December 2008, rights activists drew the attention of the government to try those responsible for post-electoral violence in 2001.

The government then formed a commission, headed by Judge Shahabuddin, which submitted a report containing several recommendations to the then home minister Sahara Khatun in 2011. However, the recommendations are yet to be implemented.

Rana Dasgupta said following the formation of the commission, several rights groups, including Ain O Salish Kendra, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad, and Nari Progati Sangha, compiled a list of around 15,000 incidents of violence against minorities during the tenure of the previous BNP-led government.

On January 5, 2014, the day of the 10th general election, more than 200 people carried out an attack on the Hindu community in the village of Malopara under Abhaynagar upazila in Jessore. The attackers burnt down 12 houses and vandalized over 130 others during the attack. They also exploded 10-15 crude bombs and injured several people.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Mukul Sarkar, who was wounded during the attack on Malopara, said they still live with the horrors of that experience.

“We are peaceful, but became victims of election-related violence,” he said.

Sarkar fears similar attacks might be carried out on December 30.

Saying that they do not want to live in such fear, he added: “If these violent acts continue, we have to leave our country.”

Apart from Jessore, minority communities in Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Lalmonirhat came under attack before and after the 2014 general election.

Sanjoy Dey, a resident of Banshkhali upazila in Chittagong, said: “Minority communities are not victims of election-related violence, but a vested group used election-related violence against minority communities to serve their own agenda.

“During election time, these evil forces try to strike fear in minority communities, going as far as attacking entire communities, forcing the minorities to leave the country,” he said.

The risky areas
Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad has identified 40-50 areas across the country as high risk and 80-85 areas as risky for election-related violence, as those places have large populations belonging to minority communities.

In those areas, the council has formed area-based committees, with youths trained to tackle violence against minorities – particularly election-related violence.

Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune over phone, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad Presidium Member Kajal Debnath said it is common for minority communities to be victims of election-related violence, even though they themselves do not perpetrate any violence.
He urged all major political parties to speak out on the issue, in order to raise awareness among political activists.

He also opined that political leaders should be held responsible if any political party carries out attacks.

Veteran actor Pijush Bandyopadhyay, also the convener of Samprity Bangladesh, also expressed fear that the minority groups in Bangladesh may face attacks during the upcoming election.

In a press briefing at the National Press Club in October this year, he said: “We fear that those responsible for atrocities during the Liberation War will spring to action before the polls.”

“Considering the incidents that took place following previous elections, we fear that such attacks will occur again,” he added.

Pijush also called upon the Muslims of the country to stand against any such atrocities.

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Bangladesh Flashback: “Abba did they release you?”

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 09:35:45 +0000

‘They (the Pakistani authorities) have caused us much pain. But we are all well now’

A half million people welcome Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his return to Bangladesh on January 10, 1972 Focus Bangla

After being released from a Pakistani prison on January 8, 1972, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was unable to contact his family until the following day. Over the phone from London, his first words to them were “Are you all alive?”

According to the conversation originally published in the Ittefaq, his family were indeed alive and were in turn in a state of disbelief that he had been freed. It was only after extensive persuasion that Mujib’s parents began to accept their son’s miraculous release.

Amid the tears of joy from family members, there was one who was particularly excited to speak to the Father of the Nation. Sheikh Russel, Mujib’s seven-year-old son, needed to hear his father confirm his release himself.

Sheikh Russel said: “Abba, did they release you? When will you come back?”

“They (the Pakistani authorities) have caused us much pain. But we are all well now,” the child told his father.

Bangabandhu also spoke with his wife Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib on the day. During the conversation, Fazilatunnesa grew visibly emotional at the thought of Mujib finally coming home.

When speaking to then Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s compassion was demonstrated as he first asked about his people.

He said: ““Hello Tajuddin. Now I am surrounded by journalists. What do I say to them? How are my beloved country men? Did the Pakistani military kill my people?”

In his response, Tajuddin informed Bangabandhu of the millions of Bangladeshis killed in nine months of grueling war, and how people from all walks of life united to snatch their freedom.

“The people still love and trust their leader,” Tajuddin said.

Earlier on January 8, then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi spoke to Bangabandhu upon his release.

“We are grateful to you for leading the people of Bangladesh through the War of Liberation,” she said.

This article was first published on Dhaka Tribune

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