Hijra Protection Act is being drafted: NHRC chairman

‘Hijra Protection Act’ is being drafted to ensure the rights of such socially excluded people to live with their family, said National Human Rights Commission chairman Nasima Begum on 23 March.

While addressing an online meeting, Nasima said implementation of the new law would reduce violation of hijra and other transgender people's rights in future, a news release said.

The meeting titled 'More affordable and meaningful participation of the Hijra community in the National Safety Net program' was jointly organised by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Bandhu Social Welfare Society (Bandhu).

The NHRC chairman also slammed harassment of people in the name of Hijra identification test.

Draft of the new law proposes an increase of allowance meant for hijra people to Tk50,000, said Mohammad Ismail, additional secretary of the social welfare ministry.

The age limit for old age allowance for hijra and transgender people would be reduced from 50 to 30 year, he added.

Currently, a hijra people gets Tk10,000 after completing income-generating training programme.

Professor Mohammad Bellal Hossain of population science department at Dhaka University, Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, director general and Sabbir Imam, director at the Department of Social Welfare, Saleh Ahmed, executive director at Bandhu, hijra community leaders and concerned individuals participated in the meeting, the release said.