Rani can truly win hearts of people!

Anwara Islam Rani, through her election campaign, has become familiar to people across the entire country. In the midst of discussions about independent candidates in the national political arena, Rani is not just one among them; she must be considered as one of the prominent figures. She has challenged the Chairman of the Jatiya Party, G.M. Kader. Already, Rani has been a target of attacks by supporters of the Jatiya Party. Does this mean that the Jatiya Party is feeling threatened by Rani?

The Rangpur-3 constituency is formed around the Rangpur Sadar Upazila. This constituency is known as a stronghold of the Jatiya Party. Since 1991, the Jatiya Party has consistently won in this constituency in all national elections. Particularly in the elections of 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2008, the electoral landscape reveals that almost all voters in this area have chosen the Jatiya Party. In the 9th National Parliament elections in 2008, the Jatiya Party's candidate in this constituency was H.M. Ershad.

In that election, he secured 239,446 votes, while his closest competitor obtained 19,640 votes. Therefore, the difference in votes between the Jatiya Party and the BNP was 219,806 votes."

In the 8th National Parliament elections in 2001, G.M.Kader, the candidate of the Jatiya Party for this constituency, received 130,562 votes. His nearest competitor from the Awami League received 53,748 votes. In the 7th National Parliament elections in 1996, H.M. Ershad won this seat with 150,590 votes and was elected as a Member of Parliament.

His closest competitor, Siddiq Hossen from the Awami League, received 28,503 votes. Even in the 5th National Parliament elections of 1991, following the fall of the autocratic regime of Ershad in 1990, H.M. Ershad secured 86,114 votes for this constituency as a candidate of the Jatiya Party.

His closest rival, Mohammad Afzal from the Ganatantri Party, received 27,938 votes. Even during the nationwide opposition against Ershad, the Awami League, despite forming alliances, could not gain an advantage in the electoral field for this constituency.

No party could ever gain an advantage against the Jatiya Party in Rangpur in seemingly acceptable elections. In this scenario, a third gender candidate, Rani, is capturing the attention of people nationwide. This is somewhat surprising. Not only in the electoral field but also in the complex arena of politics, Rani is new. Her sole confidence lies in the love and support of the people.

In the realm of receiving that love, individuals of the third gender are somewhat lagging behind, facing challenges. It begins with family discrimination. When the family realizes that the individual is not like the others in the family, somewhat different, that's when they start treating them differently. From then on, life becomes gradually challenging for them within the family and the broader societal context.

Even in death, a person like Rani is not considered a human but becomes a eunuch's body. No one sheds tears for her. Where will her grave be? Who will arrange her funeral? In this uncertainty, it seems that even her death is a sin for her. This is the unfortunate reality for many individuals of the third gender. While a significant portion of society used to have a prejudiced view towards them, there has been a change in recent years.

Certainly, many people remember the events of the two incidents of 2019 when Pinky Khatun became the Vice Chairman in Jhenaidah's Kotchandpur, breaking barriers for transgender individuals. Similarly, Nazrul Islam Ritu, a transgender person, was elected as the Chairman in Trilochanpur Union of Kaliganj, Jhenaidah. They were the first transgender candidates to be elected in Union Parishad elections in the country, marking a significant change in people's perceptions. Now the question arises whether there will be a similar change in the perception of the general public within the Jatiya partiy?

In the past few days, the political landscape and discourse around the elections have not made Rani appear entirely new. Rani is actively discussing the Tista treaty. The Tista treaty is crucial for the farmers and agriculture in Rangpur. Rani has stated that if she wins the election, she will mobilize the general public to protest and push for the Tista treaty.

So far, there has been no mention of any local political leaders considering this demand. The discourse seems distant from local politics, and there has been no response to these statements. Through social media, more statements from Rani can be found, where she emphasizes working for the development and well-being of the people who are rooted in the grassroots.

Whether Rani will be elected or not will be determined by the voters' decision. However, if she wins, it will indeed be a unique story in the history of Bangladesh's National Parliament elections. If elected, and if she keeps her promises, Rani could become the voice of the marginalized in the Parliament, representing the people rooted in the grassroots for the first time in the country's parliamentary history.

Certainly, the memory of the Bongobazar fire incident is fresh in our minds. Kashmiri Dipali, the president of the Bangladesh Hijra Development Organization, stated after the incident, "During Eid, we handed over 2 million Taka to the businessmen for the purchase”, but why did we, who claim to be very normal, not stand by the businessmen in their crisis? This question can be raised.

People around the world have demonstrated that individuals of the third gender can excel in significant roles.  Rani might not make something big overnight,  but there is a saying in politics that staying connected is crucial. To reach people or deeply touch their hearts, one must always be present among them.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, if Anowara Islam Rani stays connected with the people, she will surely touch their hearts one day. Just as there is no gender discrimination in the face of human love, the third gender will not be an issue either.