ED: A notable step towards inclusivity

Congratulations to Tashnuva Anan Shishir, who is set to become the first transgender newscaster in Bangladesh when she begins her career at Boishakhi TV from today, March 8, International Women’s Day.

Members of Bangladesh’s transgender community, known locally as hijra, have historically been mistreated and misrepresented in our society, typically being shunned, vilified, and treated as outcasts.

Despite our myriad achievements with respect to human rights and human development, this mistreatment continues, and is one we must do much better at addressing.

Credit must be given to those who continue the fight to establish the rights of transgender people across the country, fighting for their place in society as a Bangladeshi citizen, with all the rights, dignity, and facilities that any and every citizen not only deserves, but is entitled to.

Credit also must be given to employers such as Boishakhi TV for firmly establishing themselves on the right side of history, and we hope that other employers follow suit in providing equality of employment regardless of a person’s gender or sex.  

There remains much work to be done on this front, and in order to eliminate such discrimination, it is important to acknowledge the strength and power of diversity.

Tashnuva Anan Shishir’s appointment as a newscaster is a notable step towards accepting diversity within our society, and hopefully, catalyzes the formation of a more inclusive outlook within our society, one which ensures that every single person in Bangladesh is treated equally.