"I feel like a mermaid. My body tells me that I am a man but my soul tells me that I am a woman. I am like a flower, a flower that is made of paper. I shall always be loved from a distance, never to be touched and no smell to fall in love with." Heena(52). Hijra, a term of South Asia which have no exact match in the modern western taxonomy of gender, designated as male at birth with feminine gender identity and eventually adopts feminine gender roles. They are often grossly labeled as hermaphrodites, eunuchs, transgender or transsexual women in literature, presently a more justified social term for them is the Third Gender. Transcending the biological definition, Hijras are more of social phenomena as a minority group and have a long recorded history in South Asia. However, their overall social acceptance and present conditions of living vary significantly in countries like Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Perhaps the Hijras in Bangladesh faces the worst situation, which forces a good number of them to leave their motherland, to migrate to India. Instead of coming from various social and family backgrounds, Hijras feel a strong sense of belongings to their groups. These groups give them the shelter of a family and the warmth of human relationship. Outside the group, they are discriminated and scorned almost everywhere. Traditionally they used to earn their living based on the cultural belief that Hijras can bless one's house with prosperity and fertility. Because of our shared geographical and cultural history of the subcontinent, this particular Hindu belief slowly made room in the Muslim culture of this land. Times have changed and Hijras have lost their admired space in the society. Now they make a living by walking around the streets collecting money from shopkeepers, bus and train passengers or by prostitution. I, like almost everyone else in my society, grew up seeing them as less than human. Their habits, way of life, and even looks marked them as different and deviant, as if a living testimony of biological aberration. Then I met Heena, who showed me how wrong I was. She opened her life to me, made me a part of her world and helped me to see something beyond the word Hijra. She made me understand her and other members of her community, as the mothers, daughters, friends and lovers that they actually are. In today's world, Hijras hardly get an opportunity to have a normal life. They do not have any school to study, no temple to pray in, no government and private organizations would want to see them in their employee list. They have no access to legal system nor do even health service providers welcome them. I have started this self-financed on going project in the beginning of July 2012. My work has won the hearts and trust of many Hijras over the period of time, which I hope is evident in my photo essay. To know the full story, the work must go on. Shahria Sharmin is a Bangladesh based documentary photographer who found her way to the profession after pursuing an education in Public Administration. She is at the end of her graduation in photography from Pathshala, South Asian Media Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her work focuses on social and cultural issues. Shahria was awarded the Alexia Foundation 2nd Place Student grant for her work "Call me Heena"on 2014.

Shahria Sharmin, Call me Heena, 2012/2013   Shahria Sharmin, Call me Heena, 2012/2013                     Shahria Sharmin, Call me Heena, 2012/2013   Shahria Sharmin, Call me Heena, 2012/2013                     Shahria Sharmin, Call me Heena, 2012/2013   Shahria Sharmin, Call me Heena, 2012/2013

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