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| A Transgender Bangladeshi Changes Perceptions After Catching Murder Suspects | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| DHAKA, Bangladesh — In an alleyway off a marketplace specializing in meat and live chickens, up a few narrow, precipitous flights of cement stairs, can be found the most sought-after transgender crime fighter in Bangladesh. | DHAKA, Bangladesh — In an alleyway off a marketplace specializing in meat and live chickens, up a few narrow, precipitous flights of cement stairs, can be found the most sought-after transgender crime fighter in Bangladesh. |
| Reporters from newspapers and television stations are combing Dhaka looking for her, and so are police officials, who said they would like to give her an award for bravery. But since Monday, when she nabbed two suspects in the killing of a blogger, the woman, Labannya Hijra, 21 — who takes her last name from the South Asian term for biological males who identify as women — has melted back into the city where she has been invisible for so long. | Reporters from newspapers and television stations are combing Dhaka looking for her, and so are police officials, who said they would like to give her an award for bravery. But since Monday, when she nabbed two suspects in the killing of a blogger, the woman, Labannya Hijra, 21 — who takes her last name from the South Asian term for biological males who identify as women — has melted back into the city where she has been invisible for so long. |
| After three days of searching, a reporter found her on Thursday, and she agreed to tell her story publicly for the first time. She was willing to speak only after her mentor, another hijra named Sapna Hijra, granted her permission. | After three days of searching, a reporter found her on Thursday, and she agreed to tell her story publicly for the first time. She was willing to speak only after her mentor, another hijra named Sapna Hijra, granted her permission. |
| The blogger, Oyasiqur Rhaman, 27, was attacked by three young men, who had reportedly been ordered to kill him for writing comments critical of Islam on social media. Ms. Hijra grabbed the T-shirts of the fleeing men, who were students. As they struggled in her grasp, a machete fell out of one man’s bag and clattered to the ground. One of the men whacked at her hand and shouted at her to let him go, and she yelled back, “Shut up!” | The blogger, Oyasiqur Rhaman, 27, was attacked by three young men, who had reportedly been ordered to kill him for writing comments critical of Islam on social media. Ms. Hijra grabbed the T-shirts of the fleeing men, who were students. As they struggled in her grasp, a machete fell out of one man’s bag and clattered to the ground. One of the men whacked at her hand and shouted at her to let him go, and she yelled back, “Shut up!” |
| “We in the hijra community, we don’t want any terrorist activity in this society,” she said. “We want an environment where each and every person, including hijras, can move around the city safely.” | “We in the hijra community, we don’t want any terrorist activity in this society,” she said. “We want an environment where each and every person, including hijras, can move around the city safely.” |
| It is surprising that anyone intervened after Monday’s brutal attack, not least a member of a marginalized minority. After months of violent political protests and deteriorating security, Dhaka has become a place where witnesses prefer to forget. On Feb. 26, a group of young men killed Avijit Roy, an atheist Bangladeshi-American blogger and author, on a crowded street as he left a book fair. | It is surprising that anyone intervened after Monday’s brutal attack, not least a member of a marginalized minority. After months of violent political protests and deteriorating security, Dhaka has become a place where witnesses prefer to forget. On Feb. 26, a group of young men killed Avijit Roy, an atheist Bangladeshi-American blogger and author, on a crowded street as he left a book fair. |
| “Not less than 10 to 12 people saw the attack,” said the victim’s father, Ajoy Roy, but the police were unable to get useful descriptions from witnesses. “Either they are not interested or they could not find them.” | “Not less than 10 to 12 people saw the attack,” said the victim’s father, Ajoy Roy, but the police were unable to get useful descriptions from witnesses. “Either they are not interested or they could not find them.” |
| The Dhaka Tribune reported on Tuesday that locals were reluctant to chase Mr. Rhaman’s killers. Ms. Hijra said she caught two of the men as they ran past her, pursued by police officers and civilians. When the police caught up to her, they arrested the men, and Ms. Hijra made herself scarce. The third suspect escaped. | The Dhaka Tribune reported on Tuesday that locals were reluctant to chase Mr. Rhaman’s killers. Ms. Hijra said she caught two of the men as they ran past her, pursued by police officers and civilians. When the police caught up to her, they arrested the men, and Ms. Hijra made herself scarce. The third suspect escaped. |
| She hesitated to come forward, fearing that the killers’ associates would remember her face. She considered fleeing to the village where she grew up. | She hesitated to come forward, fearing that the killers’ associates would remember her face. She considered fleeing to the village where she grew up. |
| But over the next several days, she began to notice that, even without identifying herself, she was getting an unusual degree of respect. | But over the next several days, she began to notice that, even without identifying herself, she was getting an unusual degree of respect. |
| “Some people, when they see me, they say, ‘You did a fantastic job, you grabbed the terrorists,’ ” she said. “So there is some new appreciation of our hijra community.” | “Some people, when they see me, they say, ‘You did a fantastic job, you grabbed the terrorists,’ ” she said. “So there is some new appreciation of our hijra community.” |
| Transgender people occupy an unusual social strata in South Asia, where conservative societies still consider same-sex intercourse to be a crime but also allow the existence of a third gender — a well-established category that dates back to the age of the “Kama Sutra.” Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India have all legally recognized the existence of a third gender, including on passports and other official documents. | Transgender people occupy an unusual social strata in South Asia, where conservative societies still consider same-sex intercourse to be a crime but also allow the existence of a third gender — a well-established category that dates back to the age of the “Kama Sutra.” Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India have all legally recognized the existence of a third gender, including on passports and other official documents. |
| Ms. Hijra recognized herself as a hijra as a child, and left home at 9 in the company of an older transgender woman. In Dhaka, she joined a rigidly hierarchical commune headed by Sapna Hijra, whom she refers to as “guru-ma,” or revered leader. They make their living by a traditional, low-stakes protection scheme: asking shopkeepers for small sums of money and creating a noisy racket on the street outside if they refuse. The business model depends heavily on the belief that hijras have the power to invoke curses. | Ms. Hijra recognized herself as a hijra as a child, and left home at 9 in the company of an older transgender woman. In Dhaka, she joined a rigidly hierarchical commune headed by Sapna Hijra, whom she refers to as “guru-ma,” or revered leader. They make their living by a traditional, low-stakes protection scheme: asking shopkeepers for small sums of money and creating a noisy racket on the street outside if they refuse. The business model depends heavily on the belief that hijras have the power to invoke curses. |
| She lives in a tin-roofed shanty and earns about $4 a day begging. | She lives in a tin-roofed shanty and earns about $4 a day begging. |
| “We don’t have a normal life; we are not normal human beings,” she said. “Sometimes I hate myself when I think I am a hijra.” | “We don’t have a normal life; we are not normal human beings,” she said. “Sometimes I hate myself when I think I am a hijra.” |
| But on the other hand, she said, “many people love us, because we are helpless and deprived.” | But on the other hand, she said, “many people love us, because we are helpless and deprived.” |
| On Thursday, speaking about the attack in the presence of her guru, Ms. Hijra was asked whether she would appear in person to accept congratulations from the police. She looked expectantly at Sapna Hijra, who said, “Why not?” | On Thursday, speaking about the attack in the presence of her guru, Ms. Hijra was asked whether she would appear in person to accept congratulations from the police. She looked expectantly at Sapna Hijra, who said, “Why not?” |
| “Yes, I can expect to receive an award,” Ms. Hijra said happily. “I grabbed two terrorists.” | “Yes, I can expect to receive an award,” Ms. Hijra said happily. “I grabbed two terrorists.” |