On the footpath beside the DESCO regional office near Bhatara police station in Dhaka, a long queue of customers awaits their turn.
Some are there for chicken fries and French fries, while others crave Shova’s special chow mein and crispy chicken fries.
This lively scene unfolds daily at a modest food court officially named “Uttoron Food Corner”, though the locals fondly call it “Shova Apa’r Dokan”.
In the afternoons, the crowd swells, and 39-year-old Shova Sarkar, the owner, works tirelessly alongside her six assistants to meet the growing demand.
A life of struggle and triumph
Shova faced neglect and abuse from her family and society since childhood because of her identity as a Hijra.
Despite the hardships, she refused to let the weight of discrimination and deprivation crush her spirit.
Shova grew up in a suburban setting in Narsingdi that refused to accept her. She moved to Dhaka at the age of 18 to find a livelihood.
"My struggle began within my family," Shova said.
“Since childhood, I identified as a boy, but as I grew older, I realized I was different. My behavior and physical traits resembled those of girls. I loved wearing dresses and makeup, but my family didn’t accept this. My father was furious, and my classmates mocked me. I passed fifth grade from Puradia Dakhil Madrasa, but after an incident in 2000, I was sent to live with my grandmother in Narsingdi. Even there, I faced restrictions and could only attend exams, not classes. That’s how I completed my SSC in 2005. But financial support from my family was non-existent, so my education ended there. I had to find ways to earn a living and build myself up."
Fired for being a Hijra
In 2005, Shova moved to Dhaka with the help of a relative and secured a job as a cook in a reputable NGO.
Her cooking skills, honed from childhood, helped her excel at her job.
However, in 2009, during the unrest caused by the BDR massacre, her employer discovered her Hijra identity.
“They asked me if I was a third gender. After medical confirmation, they fired me,” Shova recounted with tearful eyes. “They told me, ‘You are a hijra; you cannot work here.’ I lost everything – my job, my home, and my dignity. I was forced to join a group of Hijra to survive.”
She said: “No one wanted to give me work because I was Hijra.”
Shova turned to a traditional practice in the Hijra community: performing at homes where babies were born to collect money. But she never enjoyed it. Her fortunes changed when a friend introduced her to an organization called Badhon.
Through Badhon, Shova got a job as an outdoor supervisor in Sylhet, where she worked for five years, from 2011 to 2015. Later, she became a counselor and moved back to Dhaka.
Birth of Uttoron Food Corner
Shova’s entrepreneurial journey began with the help of Bondhu, an NGO working with transgender people in Bangladesh.
“I met their officials during a media fellowship event. They heard my story and extended financial support of Tk75,000. A friend’s parlor, named Uttoron, inspired me to start a food corner under the same name. And thus, my business was born in 2018,” she said.
However, the early days were not easy.
“No one would buy food from me because I’m a Hijra,” Shova explained. “For two months, I had no customers. People thought I mixed something in the food to make them like me. I was heartbroken.”
Her fortunes shifted when a friend posted about her on Facebook. University students started visiting her shop and shared their experiences online.
Slowly, Uttoron Food Corner gained recognition, and the crowd grew.
A thriving business
Now, Shova’s food corner earns Tk10,000–12,000 daily, with even higher sales during festivals. She employs six people, including members of the Hijra community.
Kona, one of Shova’s employees, shared her experience: “Before Covid-19, I worked in a fashion house but was fired for being a hijra. Shova Apa gave me a job here. Initially, I was scared to work openly, but now I feel accepted.”
Reflecting on her journey, Shova said: “There was a time I questioned why Allah made me like this. But now, I feel no shame. I want to expand my business and create more employment opportunities for others like me, so they don’t have to beg or engage in unfavorable activities.”
Shova also appealed to the government: “Not all transgender people want to do business. Many dream of higher education and professional careers. The government should create opportunities for us to live with dignity in society.”