SHARIF M SHAFIQUE and SADI MUHAMMAD ALOK

Rina Hijra has lived in the Commissioner Mor area, beside Dhamrai Thana Road, since birth. Over the decades, she has watched the rural landscape change -- mud roads paved, markets expand, and living standards improve.

But for Rina and the Hijra community, little has changed.

Now in her sixties, she looks to the upcoming national election with cautious hope.

“I will vote. I have voted before,” Rina told The Daily Star. “But we have never received any government assistance. We still survive by begging from door to door.”

The Hijra community lives within Dhamrai municipality, part of the Dhaka-20 parliamentary constituency.

Located on the northwestern edge of the Dhaka district, the seat includes the municipality and 16 unions of Dhamrai upazila. It borders Mirzapur in Tangail to the north, Nawabganj to the south, Savar to the east, and Saturia and Manikganj Sadar to the west.

The Dhaka–Aricha Highway cuts through the largely rural constituency.

As election day approaches, candidates and activists are canvassing across the upazila. Campaign talk fills local markets.

“There is interest in the election, but the festive mood of the past is missing,” said Sujon Moni Das, a blacksmith from Nannar union.

“Candidates are coming to us. We tell them roads need repairs, and the impoverished need support. Above all, we want an environment free from violence.”

Though agriculture remains central, Dhamrai is also known for its ancient market, industrial factories, and rich cultural heritage. The Yashomadhav Rath Yatra is a 400-year-old tradition of the area.

Meanwhile, pottery made by artisans on the banks of the Bangshi river is an inseparable part of Dhamrai’s culture. Additionally, the reputation of its bell-metal and brassware utensils and artwork is worldwide.

Sukanta Banik, whose family has traded in the Dhamrai market for nearly two centuries, said Dhamrai is naturally a peaceful place.

“Campaigns are ongoing. Candidates and their

SEE PAGE 4 COL 7