Transgender Marufa Akhter Mitu has been elected as a Member from reserved wards 1, 2 and 3 of Durgapur union parishad (UP) in Mithapukur upazila in the district.
Common voters of the three reserved wards in Durgapur union are very happy after electing Marufa as their representative with a huge margin of votes in the seventh phase elections of union parishads held on February 7 last.
Returning Officer for Durgapur union in the UP elections and Mithapukur Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md. Zahidul Islam said four candidates were in the fray for the post of the Female UP Member of reserved wards 1, 2 and 3 in the union.
“Among the candidates, transgender Marufa Akhter Mitu was unofficially elected as the UP Member from the reserved wards 1, 2 and 3 bagging 4,580 votes with the ‘Loud Speaker’ symbol,” he said.
Marufa’s nearest rival Rahima Begum bagged 3,653 votes with the ‘Book’ symbol.
Two other competing candidates Probhati Rani bagged 868 votes with the ‘Pen’ symbol and Shahajadi Begum got 594 votes with the ‘Helicopter’ symbol.
Meanwhile, a cheerful wave is prevailing among common people, including women, of wards 1, 2 and 3 in Durgapur union as transgender Marufa Akhter Mitu has been elected as UP Member.
Pradip Kumar Goswami of village Chithlee Dakshin Para of Durgapur union said election of Marufa Akhter Mitu as a UP Member is a great success for the society’s neglected members of the transgender community.
“I am proud of the victory of Marufa. I also voted for her,” Pradip said, and thanked voters of wards 1, 2 and 3 of Durgapur union for electing Marufa as their grassroots level representative in the local government body.
Voter Hafizur Rahman Manik of village Kashipur said, “It is a matter of pride that a member of the transgender community has been elected as a UP Member from our area for the first time.”
“So far, only males and females were being elected as public representatives in the local government bodies. This is for the first time we have got transgender Maruf as our representatives,” Manik said.
Housewife Tahmina Begum and farmers Solaiman Ali and Mahbubur Rahman of the union said they are also happy getting Marufa, a transgender community member, as their representative in the local government body.
Talking to reporters, Marufa became very emotional and said that she had a long-cherished dream of serving people like other common people and stand beside the suffering, poor and distressed people in the society.
However, Marufa could not ever think that common people would stand beside and bless a member of the neglected transgender community with their huge trust, love and affection.
“I have nothing to gain. I will engage myself in serving common people,” Marufa said and expressed deep gratitude to common voters of wards 1, 2 and 3 of Durgapur union and sought their continuous cooperation in the future.
