Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder has said that people from the transgender community will get preference while buying essentials through the government’s Open Market Sale (OMS) program.
The minister said this while speaking as chief guest at a cultural event organized by the transgender community at the Enam Medical College Hospital Auditorium in Dhaka on Friday.
Sadhan added that the Ministry of Social Welfare has taken up projects to empower transgender people and ensure their inclusion in society.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that no one will remain homeless. To fulfill her promise, she has launched the Ashrayan project, through which the homeless people including members of the transgender community are receiving places to stay,” said the minister.
Sadhan also talked about the many benefits the transgender people are getting under the current government.
“In 2019, the government recognized transgender people as members of the third gender by providing them with the right to vote. Currently, transgender people can use their identity to get passports and many other services. This shows the government's emphasis on improving the living standards of the transgender community,” Sadhan added.
The event was presided over by Dr Enamur Rahman, state minister for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and inaugurated by Momtaz Begum, MP from Manikganj-2 seat.
