The media has a vital role to play in changing the society’s attitude towards the transgender and other socially-excluded people to ensure their fundamental rights,
speakers at a discussion said on Saturday.
They viewed that the transgender, male sex-workers and HIV/AIDS infected people were subjected to social stigma and disparity.
The observations came at a ‘Media dialogue’ organised by Light House, a rights organisation, in the city.
Mustafa Kalimullah Al Mamun, project coordinator (media and publication) of Bangladesh Center for Communication Programmes, and Mofazzal Hossain, center manager of Light House, presented the concept papers on the issue.
They said the society and the mass-media in particular, should come forward with a positive attitude towards the socially-excluded people for their existence in society with a decent livelihood.
Role of service providers and media should be more proactive in establishing rights of the transgender and other socially-excluded people for fighting HIV/AIDS. They pointed out that the members of the community were always subjected to negligence and repression in every sphere of life, including family and society.
The transvestite community is essentially deprived of several rights under the country’s existing law, because it recognises only two sexes, male and female. All Bangladeshi governmental documents, therefore, are meant to be prepared for male or female citizens. Transvestites are left with no choice as they have to identify themselves as either male or female in those documents, they added.
Topan Das, additional news editor of Daily Samakal, spoke on the occasion as resource person.
Taking part in the open discussion, local media personnel focused on how the stigma and discrimination could be reduced to a greater extent and media could provide appropriate information to the general masses about the critical issues of HIV/AIDS.
With the editor of Dainik Barta, SMA Kader in the chair, editor of the daily Natun Probhat, editor of the Daily Sunshine, Tasikul Alam Bakul, executive editor of the daily Sonar Desh, Akbarul Hassan Millat and news editor of the daily Sonali Sangbad, Anwarul Alam Fatik also spoke on the occasion.
-With New Age input
