Third gender, second-class education
Despite official recognition as a third gender more than a decade ago, Hijras in Bangladesh continue to face exclusion from the education system. From family rejection and school bullying to policy neglect, many are pushed out of classrooms long before they can complete their studies
When Meena (not her real name) was only six or seven years old, her parents enrolled her in a primary school in Dhaka's Mohammadpur. "Everything was going quite well back then," she recalled with a smile.
She lived her life like any other child. Though the sex assigned to her at birth was male, Meena later realised she was different from her classmates. By the fifth grade, the changes had become more apparent.
"I couldn't figure out whether I was a boy or a girl at that time. My behaviour and mannerisms started to change little by little," Meena said. Days passed amid quiet transformation, deep curiosity and, at the same time, social isolation and the fear of abandonment.
Meena had the determination to continue her education despite being avoided by classmates and teachers alike. But things worsened when she turned 15.
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"By the eighth grade, my feminine traits had become much more apparent. My classmates and teachers started noticing and bullying me more," she said.
Through it all, her family did not abandon her — something she acknowledges is uncommon for many Hijra people.
Then came the day she still remembers vividly.
"The teachers told me not to come back the next day," she said, her voice breaking. "They said other students couldn't concentrate because of me. They said, 'You are a Hijra. What will you do with education anyway?'"
Meena left and, months later, enrolled in another school.
Across Bangladesh, a quiet but profound exclusion plays out within the very institutions meant to be engines of equality. For the country's Hijra community, officially recognised as a third gender since 2013, educational institutions remain among the most hostile spaces in public life.
In November 2013, the Bangladesh government took a landmark step by formally recognising the Hijra community as a third gender and allowing members to identify as such on national identity documents and passports. More than a decade later, the gap between legal recognition and lived reality remains vast.
According to the Population and Housing Census 2022 conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), approximately 12,632 Hijras live in Bangladesh, although the actual number may be significantly higher.
Yet there is still no policy framework addressing their educational rights, nor has the exclusionary culture in and around schools substantially improved. Including the Hijra community in mainstream education is, experts say, not merely a policy choice; it is an obligation.
The current administration, which has allocated 2% of its proposed budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year to education, has shown no visible concern about mainstreaming the Hijra community in schools, nor has it formulated any specialised policy for them.
"There are specialised approaches under the Social Welfare Ministry for people with disabilities, special needs and orphans. There are even specialised schools for them," said Robaet Ferdous, a professor in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka. "But when it comes to this community, no successive government has shown any interest beyond the initial recognition."
The architecture of exclusion
The barriers Hijra students face are not accidental. They are structural, social and self-reinforcing — a layered system of exclusion that begins at home and follows a child into every classroom they dare enter.
"For most Hijras, exclusion begins at home, as soon as their identity becomes apparent," said Shourza Talukder, a senior research associate at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
Research published in the journal Quality Education for All found that, of the 20 Hijras surveyed, 14 had been separated from their families. Parents often withdraw both financial and emotional support, while siblings become strangers.
One respondent described being told bluntly by their own brother, "You are Hijra. What will you do after studying?" Another reported being physically abused until they fled home.
At school, the hostility continues. Hijra students report being bullied by classmates, harassed by teachers and turned away by administrators who frame their presence as a disruption.
"Access to education becomes nearly impossible once they leave school. Some continue, but only by hiding their real identity," said Talukder.
Even basic facilities become flashpoints. Neither the boys' nor the girls' toilets offer safety, and no third option exists.
"When I was in high school, my classmates would mock me over which toilet I should use," Meena recalled.
A 2024 study found that teachers frequently encouraged Hijra students to stop attending school, framing their departure not as a failure of the system but as an inevitability.
Economically, those cut off from family support have no safety net. With employers routinely refusing to hire Hijra individuals, often citing workplace "disruption", many are left without the means to fund even basic schooling. Some resort to collecting alms, a practice that then compounds the very stigma that drove them out of school in the first place.
Out of policies, out of mind
Alongside society and educational institutions, successive governments have shown little interest in treating Hijras as full citizens.
The Business Standard reached out to the State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, Bobby Hajjaj, to ask whether the ministry was considering any measures to include the Hijra community in mainstream primary education.
The minister said the issue did not fall within his ministry's remit.
"The identity of this community does not become apparent at the primary-school level," he said. But many Hijra individuals interviewed for this report said they first experienced changes in their gender expression between the ages of seven and eight.
The Business Standard also spoke to Md Shakhawat Hossain Khan, Director (Secondary Wing) at the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE).
"To date, our department has not undertaken any dedicated initiatives or developed any action plans for the Hijra community. Nor has the current government provided any policy direction on the matter," he said.
One DSHE deputy director, Tariqul Islam, noted that the directorate has a specialised wing that previously oversaw madrasa education, which has become largely inactive since that sector was separated.
"The Education Ministry could initiate activities under this wing," he suggested.
Whether the community will ultimately be brought under specialised consideration or integrated into mainstream schooling remains unanswered. Experts consistently advocate the latter, supported by a targeted action plan.
During the previous government, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) included a story titled Sharifa's Story in the Class Seven History and Social Science textbook for the 2024 academic year. The story highlighted the community's experiences and struggles for acceptance, and was intended to foster a non-discriminatory mindset among students.
"Inclusive education policies must explicitly name and protect Hijra students, not simply affirm a general commitment to inclusion that everyone knows does not apply to them in practice. Teacher training must address gender sensitivity and anti-bullying measures with direct reference to third-gender students. Gender-neutral bathrooms must be incorporated into school infrastructure. Counselling services must be available for both Hijra students and the families who reject them."
Within a month, controversy erupted. A teacher at BRAC University publicly tore pages containing the story from the textbook during a seminar, alleging that it promoted homosexuality and gender transition — concepts he argued were prohibited under Bangladeshi law and inconsistent with religious values.
The then education minister, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, announced a review. A five-member committee, the majority of whose members were Islamic scholars, was subsequently formed.
Four months later, the committee concluded that 19 words in the story were "incompatible" with Bangladeshi society and recommended the removal of that story.
The incident fuelled further hostility towards the community nationwide.
The current NCTB Chairman, Md Mahbubul Hoque Patwary, confirmed to The Business Standard that there is no dedicated content on the third gender in current textbooks, nor in the revised textbooks planned for 2027.
He did, however, say that the textbook committee intends to include specific content on the issue "in the near future".
What inclusive education could look like
"Inclusive education policies must explicitly name and protect Hijra students, not simply affirm a general commitment to inclusion that everyone knows does not apply to them in practice," said Robaet Ferdous.
"Teacher training must address gender sensitivity and anti-bullying measures with direct reference to third-gender students. Gender-neutral bathrooms must be incorporated into school infrastructure. Counselling services must be available for both Hijra students and the families who reject them."
Researcher Shourza Talukder argues that change must begin at the government level.
"The state must acknowledge diversity. A common-school education system should be implemented," she said.
She also argued that moral and religious education should be separated within the curriculum, allowing students to recognise and respect peers with different identities and backgrounds.
Beyond school policy, advocates point to quotas in educational institutions and public services, similar to those available to other marginalised groups, as a means of breaking the cycle of exclusion.
Financial stipends for Hijra students — replacing the family support that is often withdrawn — could also make a material difference in reducing dropout rates.
"Awareness should be raised at the community level. Civil society and local government should present our community to the broader public so that acceptance can become normalised," said Ramisa Chowdhury, cultural secretary of the Somvob Foundation.
"Awareness campaigns need to target not only teachers and administrators, but also parents, neighbourhood leaders and religious figures."
Small initiatives can make a big difference
In April this year, 28 students from the Hijra community in Rangpur sat the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination together, marking a significant milestone for inclusive education in Bangladesh.
To promote greater inclusion, Bangladesh Open University (BOU) introduced special provisions for third-gender students under its school-based SSC programme for the 2025–26 academic year.
As part of the initiative, 60% of their course fees have been waived, making education more accessible and affordable.
BOU Deputy Director Mustaq Ahmad said the programme was designed for individuals who had fallen out of the education system due to various challenges, and that supporting the Hijra community remained one of its priorities.
He stressed that if government institutions introduced more initiatives of this kind, even on a limited scale, the inclusion of Hijra individuals in education could improve significantly in the coming years.
"This is not just an examination; it is a recognition of our existence," said examinee Anowara Islam Rani.
"We have long been neglected and marginalised. Now we have been given an opportunity, and that is our greatest source of strength. We want to pursue education, become self-reliant and live with dignity."
Earlier, in November 2020, a privately funded madrasa was established in the Kamrangirchar area of Dhaka exclusively for transgender people.
With no age limit for enrolment and no tuition fees, the madrasa introduced a non-residential, seminary-based education system for up to 150 Hijra students.
In addition to traditional Islamic studies, it offers lessons in Bangla, English, mathematics and vocational skills.
Its organisers said the institution would help students pursue better employment opportunities and potentially continue into more formal education in the future.
Commitment, not favour
Article 17 of the Constitution of Bangladesh makes primary education a state obligation. Article 27 guarantees equality before the law. Article 28 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.
Bangladesh is also a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, all of which affirm education as a fundamental right.
None of these provisions contains an asterisk. None says: unless you are Hijra.
For Bandhu Social Welfare Society and the advocates working alongside Bangladesh's third-gender community, the demand is not for special treatment. It is for the fulfilment of obligations the state has already made, on paper, to every citizen.
The classroom is not a privilege. It is a right.
And for too many Hijra children in Bangladesh, it remains just out of reach — visible through a window, but never quite open.
