For the first time, a woman from the tansgender community has become a candidate for the councillor post in Netrokona's Madan municipal election.
Shenjuti Talukdar Sonali, the transgender, is contesting the polls for the women’s reserved seat of the ward no 3, 4, 5 in the municipality beside four other women.
Shenjuti is the general secretary of a local social welfare organization known as “Shopner Chhowa”.
"I have been working for marginal Hijra people for a long time. I try to make impoverished Hijras self-reliant. I am contesting the elections so that I can provide adequate services to locals, especially to the people from my community."
When asked how confident she feels about winning the election, Shenjuti replied: "Votes will decide my eligibility for becoming a candidate. I have applied for the candidateship being supported by general people including elderly citizens."
The Madan municipality has 4,441 voters registered. Elections to municipalities across the country will be held from December 28.
"The first phase of municipal election will be held on December 28," said Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Md Alamgir at a press briefing at the EC office last month.
In four to five phases, the elections to all municipalities will be completed by March and April next year. Voting will be conducted through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), said the EC secretary.
