A third gender person wins upazila election in Jhenaidah

For the first time ever, a person from the third gender community has been elected as a vice-chairman in an upazila parishad election.

Sadia Akhter Pinky contested, and unofficially won the seat of the vice-chairman in the Kotchandpur upazila parishad election of Jhenaidah on Monday. She got a total of 12,880 votes.

In an interview, Pinky said she wants to establish the rights of third gender people in Kotchandpur, and also work for the upazila's overall development. She requested cooperation from everyone in her endeavours. 

Pinky, 37, is the child of Nawab Ali from Sawadi village under Dora union in Kotchandpur. She got married when she was in the 10th grade; however, her marriage did not last long. 

Later, she started her career in politics, and currently serves as the convener in Jubo Mohila League of Kotchandpur.  

"The people of Kotchandpur are with me," she said after winning the election. "They helped me win out of their love for me, for which I will always be grateful. 

"They consider me as a close one, a confidante," Pinky added. "That is why they voted for me."

Her family members helped her with her political career, she said. 

"For the last three years, I have been working as the convener of Kotchandpur Mohila Jubo League, and the president of the managing committee of a government primary school in Dora union," she said. 

She continued: "Whenever someone gets sick, I take that person to the hospital. I try helping anyone who gets into trouble. In this way, I try staying beside the people."

When asked on which issues is she going to work on after her victory, Pinky said: "I want to work for the development of the population.

"I want to stay beside helpless women, and build a society free of drugs," she said. "Besides helping the youth, I want everyone from the third gender community to receive the respect they deserve."

She asked for the prime minister's intervention in this particular issue. 

Replying to a query about her inspiration behind joining politics, Pinky said: "Everyone from my village inspired me to stand for the election. They were with me till the very end. They are my true inspiration."

She expressed her interest in meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, after paying a visit to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's grave.