Bangladesh’s first trans newsreader breaks down in tears after word-perfect debut
Tashnuva Anan Shishir's broadcast coincided with International Women's Day.
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: YouTube
Bangladesh’s first trans news anchor has delivered her first news bulletin – and it was word-perfect.
Tashnuva Anan Shishir, whose broadcast on Boishakhi TV coincided with International Women’s Day, broke down in tears after the high profile moment.
“Maybe the creator created me and paved the way for the development of the destiny of this community,” she told BBC Bengali.
“Historic step”
Recounting her story, the BBC reports that the 29-year-old has survuved bullying, sexual harassment, assault, “mental torture” and suicide attempts on her road to stardom.
The journalist, whose father has stopped speaking to her since she came out as trans, has a masters in public health in Dhaka.
“I never left school,” she told the outlet. “My sixth sense always told me to keep studying. If I continue reading, I will be able to go somewhere.
“I continued my studies despite enduring hundreds of insults day after day. All I had in mind is that I should continue my study.”
According to AFP, Boishakhi TV spokesperson Julfikar Ali Manik called Shishir’s debut a “historic step”.
Bangladesh is home to an estimated 1.5 million trans people.
In 2014, the supreme court of India ruled that trans people would be recognised on official documents under a separate ‘third gender’ category.
Same-sex sexual relations are illegal in the country, and punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Read the Attitude April Style issue, out now to download and to order globally.
Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £1 each, or digitally for just over £1.50 per issue.
