Shahida becomes 1st transgender elected rep

A member of the transgender community has won elected office in the country, during phase two of the UP elections last Thursday.

Shahida Begum, 43, has been elected as a member of a Union Parishad Maguraghona Union Parishad-6 (Council) in Khulna.

Shahida’s victory was announced on Thursday after she contested a reserved seat for women of wards 4, 5, and 6 under the union at the second phase of UP polls.

She won by a huge margin of 2,740 votes competing against four female candidates with her symbol Mic.

Shahida, a resident of ward-6 of Dumuria, has been living for a long time in this area after building her own house. Her father Abdur Razaque Morol is a resident of Dakkhin Chuknagar.

“I have contested in the poll to ensure the rights for people of our community which I’ll try to attain with my utmost effort,” she said.

“People elected me for this position even though our community is neglected in society. I’m indebted to all who voted for me,” she said.

When asked about future plans Shahida said she wants to return the love she got from people by doing notable work for the locals.

A guideline was approved in 2013 at cabinet committee for granting Hijra or transgenders state recognition. Following that, in January, 2014, government issued a gazette granting state recognition to the transgender community.

In 2019, the Election Commission decided to enlist third gender as a gender identity in the voter list along with male and female.