Bangladesh’s first transgender television news presenter makes debut

Tashnuva Anan Shishir became the first transgender newsreader in Bangladesh on March 8, 2021, International Women’s Day. After delivering her first news bulletin for a private television channel, Shishir said hoped her story will help the community of transgender people, known as hijras, gain greater acceptance across the country. The government estimates there are about 10,000 hijras in Bangladesh, but rights groups say the figure could be as high as 1.5 million.