In Noakhali district, the vast majority of Hijra people remain excluded from the voter list despite the existence of a separate “third gender” category in Bangladesh’s voter registration system. While more than two thousand Hijra people are estimated to live across the district’s nine upazilas, official records show that only 14 individuals are registered as voters under the third-gender category.
Election office data indicate that Noakhali has nearly 2.87 million registered voters across six parliamentary constituencies. Of these, over 1.49 million are listed as male and 1.37 million as female, while just 14 are registered as third gender. In Companiganj, Kabirhat, and Senbagh upazilas under the Noakhali-2 and Noakhali-5 constituencies, no Hijra voters are registered at all, despite established community presence in these areas.
Although the voter registration form was amended to include a third-gender option and guidelines exist for inclusive door-to-door updates, field reports suggest these measures have not been effectively implemented. Many Hijra individuals reported that they were never informed about registration procedures or received assistance during voter list updates. Long-standing barriers such as lack of parental documents, missing identity papers, and social exclusion have further prevented registration.
Community members have emphasized that exclusion from the voter list also blocks access to state services and benefits. Local election officials stated that no Hijra individuals came forward during update campaigns, while district authorities cited limited awareness initiatives and reiterated commitments to ensure voting rights without harassment or discrimination.
The gap between policy and practice in Noakhali highlights ongoing structural failures in guaranteeing equal electoral participation. Without proactive outreach and simplified registration processes, the constitutional right to vote remains out of reach for much of the Hijra community.
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