Nazrul Islam Ritu makes history as Bangladesh’s first out trans mayor

The town of Trilochanpur elected Nazrul Islam Ritu in a landslide victory, making her the first transgender mayor in Bangladesh.

The 45-year-old said her election is an example of the “glass ceiling” finally breaking.

According to Al Jazeera, Ritu, who uses both male and female pronouns, said: “The glass ceiling is breaking. It is a good sign.

“The victory means they really love me and they have embraced me as their own.

“I will dedicate my life to public service.”

Ritu added that her win shows an increasing amount of acceptance for the “Hijra” community – those who are born male but do not identify with the gender binary of being a man or a woman.

The newly-elected mayor was born into a large Muslim family but had to flee Trilochanpur, her hometown, as a child.

After finding a home in a commune of transgender people in Dhaka, she ended up returning to the town where she became a popular figure thanks to her work with the community – which included donations to local Hindu temples and helping to build two mosques.

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