Thursday, April 20

Why not welfare board to ensure inheritance in property of hijras

The High Court ruled that why should a Hijra Welfare Board not be ordered to provide social and medical benefits to the Hijras, besides inheritance.

The High Court bench comprising Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Muhammad Ali gave this ruling on March 16 after the preliminary hearing of a writ. The order regarding this rule of the High Court has been published recently.



The information displayed on the website of the Ministry of Social Welfare says that according to the preliminary survey of the Department of Social Services, the number of transgenders in Bangladesh is about 11 thousand. On January 22, 2014, the Government of Bangladesh recognized the Hijra community as the 'Hijra Linga'.

Sylhet resident and National Human Welfare Medalist asked for the necessary instructions to ensure the inheritance of transgenders' property. Abdul Jabbar Jalil filed the writ last March as the petitioner. Lawyer Abdul Halim Kafi heard on behalf of the writ in the court. Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state.

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Abdul Halim Kafi, the lawyer of the writ petitioner, told Prothom Alo that the transgender community (hijra) has not been deprived of the inheritance of their family's property anywhere in the country's constitution and religious traditions. A legal framework is needed for the transgender community (hijras) to inherit their family's property. If the property rights of the Hijra community are guaranteed, they will not be considered vulnerable in the society, and they will not even become a nuisance in any public gathering place in the country. If the writ is filed citing all such arguments, the court gives that rule. 


The lawyer said that the law secretary, social welfare secretary, home secretary, health secretary, director general of social service department and inspector general of police have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.

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