POBNEWS24, Dhaka Apr 1, 2024 : 40 person of the third gender got a house in the Dakshin Char Kalibari shelter project of ward number 33 of Mymensingh city, Bangladesh. All of them are Muslims. When they went to pray in the local mosque, they faced many obstacles. In this situation, they thought of building a separate mosque. The divisional city is at a distance of 113 km from the capital Dhaka.
From such a thought, the mosque was built in Mymensingh by the initiative of the third gender community. There is some discussion in the area; However, now local worshipers are regularly praying with transgender people in this mosque.
The third gender population of Mymensingh faces many complications and obstacles including offering prayers, janaza after death. To get out of this situation, ‘Setu Bandhan Hijra Kalyan Sangh’ took the initiative to build a mosque for the members.
Land and money are needed. They have none of that. After that they met the Divisional Commissioner of Mymensingh. With the help of the Divisional Commissioner, 33 centuries of land was allotted near the shelter project from the district administration. They also get some grants. The official activities of the mosque were started targeting the month of Ramadan.
This mosque is named as ‘Third Gender Community and Dakshin Char Kalibari Asharyan Jame Masjid’, established at Baraikandi village on the banks of Brahmaputra River in Ward No. 33 of Mymensingh City Corporation.
The newly built one-room mosque with paved floor has walls and roof of tin. Small balcony in front. Submersible pump is installed next to it. Adjacent toilet and bathroom. 3 mics pulled up high.
Elderly and young worshipers are coming to the mosque with people of the third gender. They all pray together. After the prayer, I talked with some local people. Talked to some members of Setu Bandhan Hijra Kalyan Sangh.
Akhi, a third gender man, said, “All my life I have heard that when a hijra dies, they are floated in the river. Or buried somewhere on the banks of the river. There was no cemetery. Now we have arrangements for mosques as well as graveyards.
” Jayita Tanu, president of Setu Bandhan Hijra Kalyan Sangh, said, “We have 40 hijras living in the government shelter project in Barikandi village. When some of us went to pray in the local mosque next to the shelter project, many people laughed and taunted them.”
“There is no undertaking to build a mosque after discussing among ourselves;” He said. Jayita Tanu also said, “We met the Divisional Commissioner Umm Salma Tanzia. On his advice, I got 33 cents of land allotted from the District Commissioner. Also, the Divisional Commissioner arranged a grant of 2 lakhs for our mosque. With this, we did the initial work of this mosque.”
Jayita Tanu said that a person named Hafez Maulana Karimul Islam has been appointed as Imam. He has been leading 5 prayers in this mosque for the past 20 days. Locals including hijras are praying here.
Abdul Motaleb, president of the mosque management committee, said that the people of the area are helping the Hijras in their work.
He said, “They have elected me as the president of this mosque management committee. We pray 5 times together in this mosque, perform Friday prayers.”
Divisional Commissioner of Mymensingh Umme Salma Tanzia said that some members of the local hijra community came to me and asked for land for mosques and graveyards, and arrangements were made to allocate 33 cents of land to them.
“Recently they asked for assistance to build the mosque house. I arranged some money for them from a rich man. They are now building mosques and offering prayers. It is good initiative;” Divisional Commissioner said.
There has been enough response in Mymensingh area about the mosque built by the Hijra community. The people of the area applauded the generosity of the Bangladesh government.
