JMBF report examines 13 years of state recognition, institutional discrimination, and the continuing struggle for equality, dignity, and justice.
Paris, France, 12 October 2026: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a France-based international human rights organization, today published a comprehensive special report titled “Beyond Recognition: Bangladesh’s Hijra Community’s Continuing Struggle for Rights, Dignity, and Justice (2013–2026: An Analysis of State Recognition, Laws, Policies, and the Implementation of Rights).”The report highlights a deeply concerning gap between the Bangladeshi government's formal recognition of the Hijra community as a distinct gender identity in 2013 and the continued denial of fundamental human rights, equal opportunities, social protection, and access to justice experienced by members of the community.
Drawing on government records, census data, national and international human rights publications, academic research, and documented incidents, the report examines how structural discrimination, social exclusion, institutional failures, and inadequate legal protections continue to undermine the dignity, safety, and fundamental freedoms of Hijra people across Bangladesh.
Although Bangladesh officially recognized the Hijra community in 2013, followed by a government gazette notification in January 2014, the report finds that this historic recognition has not translated into comprehensive legal protection or substantive equality.
Recognition without effective protection remains insufficient. More than a decade later, members of the Hijra community continue to experience violence, harassment, humiliation, exclusion from education and employment, barriers to healthcare, housing insecurity, difficulties obtaining accurate identity documents, and discrimination in exercising their inheritance and political rights.
Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President and Executive Director of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), stated, “Despite the formal recognition of the Hijra community as a distinct gender identity in Bangladesh in 2013, a significant gap remains between legal recognition and the practical realization of dignity, equality, and fundamental human rights. This gap must be addressed immediately through comprehensive legal reforms, effective institutional protection, and concrete measures to eliminate discrimination and ensure equal rights for all members of the Hijra community.”
He called upon the Government of Bangladesh, the National Human Rights Commission (once constituted), the Election Commission, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, civil society organizations, and international development partners to take effective measures to combat discrimination and protect the fundamental rights of the Hijra community.
JMBF maintains that Hijra persons must be recognized not merely as beneficiaries of charitable assistance or welfare programmes but as equal citizens entitled to the full protection of national law and international human rights standards.
Key Findings of the Special Report
1. State recognition has not ensured substantive equality
Despite the government's recognition of Hijra identity, Bangladesh has yet to establish a comprehensive anti-discrimination framework explicitly protecting individuals against discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. Existing legal and administrative arrangements remain inadequate to address the community's diverse human rights challenges.
2. Violence, harassment, and institutional discrimination persist
The report documents incidents involving killings, physical assaults, mob attacks, torture, harassment, arbitrary or discriminatory treatment, and attacks on Hijra settlements. It also examines allegations of mistreatment by law enforcement authorities and the obstacles victims face in obtaining effective remedies.
3. Education and employment opportunities remain severely restricted
Bullying, social stigma, family rejection, discriminatory institutional practices, and difficulties with identity documentation continue to obstruct access to education and formal employment. These barriers contribute to economic insecurity and dependence on informal livelihoods.
4. Healthcare discrimination undermines dignity and well-being
Members of the Hijra community face barriers to respectful, accessible, and appropriate healthcare, including stigma, breaches of privacy, and discriminatory treatment. The report emphasizes the need for healthcare policies grounded in dignity, confidentiality, informed consent, and equality.
5. Legal identity and political participation remain incomplete
Despite progress in official recognition, discrepancies in identity documents and voter registration continue to prevent some Hijra individuals from exercising their rights in accordance with their self-identified gender. The report calls for accessible, confidential, and non-discriminatory procedures for correcting official records.
6. Social welfare programmes cannot replace enforceable rights
Although the government has introduced targeted financial assistance, educational stipends, and vocational training initiatives, these measures alone cannot eliminate systemic discrimination. JMBF stresses that social protection must be accompanied by enforceable legal guarantees, institutional accountability, and meaningful participation in public decision-making.
Evidence of Continuing Inequality
According to the preliminary findings of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' 2022 Population and Housing Census, 12,629 individuals were recorded as Hijra. However, the report raises significant concerns about possible undercounting, social stigma, risks associated with disclosing gender identity, and methodological limitations.
The report also refers to a peer-reviewed study conducted in 2019 involving 346 self-identified Hijra participants across five cities, which documented substantial violations of educational, economic, employment, healthcare, political, and social rights. JMBF emphasizes that these findings should not be interpreted as nationally representative estimates.
Furthermore, the report incorporates documented incidents from JMBF's LGBTQI+ human rights reports covering 2022–2025, highlighting the continuing risks of violence, discrimination, and social exclusion faced by Hijra and transgender individuals.
JMBF Calls for Urgent Government Action
In light of its findings, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France urges the Government of Bangladesh to adopt and implement comprehensive measures to protect and uphold the fundamental rights of Hijra persons.
JMBF specifically calls for:
- Comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that explicitly protects individuals against discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics, with enforceable remedies for violations.
- Independent and impartial investigations into incidents of violence, harassment, abuse, and discriminatory treatment targeting Hijra individuals, ensuring accountability for perpetrators and effective remedies for victims.
- Dignified legal gender recognition procedures based on self-identification, privacy, and informed consent, without humiliating physical examinations or unnecessary medical certification.
- Equal access to education, employment, and healthcare, supported by institutional safeguards against harassment, exclusion, and discriminatory practices.
- Protection of housing, property, and inheritance rights, alongside accessible legal assistance and effective complaint mechanisms.
- Inclusive voter registration and political participation, ensuring that Hijra citizens can exercise their democratic rights freely and without discrimination.
- Meaningful participation of Hijra-led organizations in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of laws and policies affecting their communities.
- Strengthened national and international human rights monitoring, including transparent and inclusive data collection, institutional accountability, and cooperation with relevant human rights mechanisms.
JMBF urges United Nations human rights mechanisms, international development partners, diplomatic missions, and international civil society organizations to pay greater attention to the human rights situation of Bangladesh's Hijra community.
The organization calls for constructive engagement with Bangladesh to advance legislative reforms, strengthen independent accountability mechanisms, support community-led initiatives, and ensure that international human rights commitments are effectively reflected in national laws, policies, and institutional practices.
The report emphasizes that lasting progress requires more than symbolic recognition. It requires enforceable rights, effective institutions, meaningful access to justice, social inclusion, and the active participation of those whose rights are at stake.
About the Special Report
The special report, researched by Ms. Jannatul Ferdaus, Assistant Secretary General of JMBF, and edited by Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JMBF, examines the human rights situation of the Hijra community in Bangladesh from 2013 to 2026.
It draws upon government publications, constitutional and legal provisions, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data, Department of Social Services materials, reports published by UNDP, Human Rights Watch, and OFPRA, peer-reviewed academic studies, and incidents documented in JMBF's human rights monitoring reports.
The report is available in English, Bangla, and French, making its findings accessible to national and international audiences, policymakers, researchers, journalists, civil society organizations, and human rights advocates.
Read the full report: Human Rights of the Hijra Community in Bangladesh (2013–2026)
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JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan international human rights organization registered in France under the French Association Law of 1901 (Registration No. W931027714), committed to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF is officially registered in the European Union Transparency Register (REG No. 0635235105176-78).
