To cheers from colleagues, Bangladesh’s first transgender news anchor breaks down in tears, but only after her word-perfect debut was beamed to the nation and the cameras were off.
Tashnuva Anan Shishir, a rights activist who previously worked with NGOs supporting transgender people and migrants, read her first three-minute daily news bulletin for a private television channel on Monday, International Women’s Day.
“This could be revolutionary and create a new dimension in people’s thinking,” said Shishir, 29, who received several weeks of intensive training at Boishakhi TV after being selected for the job in auditions.
“The biggest problem is that people are not sensitised … I hope this can do that, and urge them to look after the many ‘Tashnuvas’ around them,” she said.