Govt mulls giving jobs

The Hijra or transgender community is a step closer to be integrated into the society, as the government plans to offer them various service-oriented jobs, including in the police.

The Prime Minister's Office has already instructed the social welfare ministry to find ways to rehabilitate this community, a ministry official told this correspondent.

The government aims to utilise them in social services so that they need not do odd jobs for a living like seeking alms or even forcibly taking money from people, as is the case now.

Their contribution to the service sector would add value to the society, the official added.

According to a social welfare directorate survey done several years ago, there are about 10,000 Hijras in the country. But various NGOs working for the community put the number between 30,000 and 40,000.

In the fiscal year 2012-13, the government introduced a monthly allowance for them under the social safety net programme.

In the current FY, the government allocated Tk 4.5 crore for distribution among the members of the community in 21 districts.

The allowance is Tk 400 a month for a Hijra aged above 50. Those going to schools and colleges get stipends in four tiers -- Tk 300 per month in primary level, Tk 450 in second ary, Tk 600 in higher secondary and Tk 1,000 in higher study level.

In the last FY, 762 members of the community got stipends, 1,071 got allowance and 950 got training. In the current fiscal, the numbers are 789, 1,300 and 900 respectively, according to the ministry website.

The governmetn recently reconised Hijras as the third gender.

The issue of bringing the transgender community into the mainstream society was raised by the social welfare ministry yesterday during an inter-ministerial meeting that discussed allocation for social safety net programmes in the next budget.

The meeting, chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, decided that all Hijras will get monthly allowance from the government, which means the total allocation for them is likely to increase.

Earlier on April 29, Rupan Kanti Shil, additional secretary for social welfare, said the government was considering appointing 14 members of the community in various government departments.

“We will provide technical training to 1,725 Hijras from 35 districts in the forthcoming fiscal year,” he said, adding that they were also arranging scholarships for the students of this community.