The mosque for Bangladesh’s transgender women

The mosque for Bangladesh’s transgender women

On the banks of the Brahmaputra River, a remote village in northern Bangladesh serves as a sanctuary for the hijra (transgender) community, a once-revered but now persecuted group. In March 2024, a mosque built by and for hijras offered a rare haven for worship without fear. After the August 2024 protests that toppled the secular government, a surge in religious extremism has fueled renewed violence against minorities, including the hijra community. Their mosque, once a beacon of hope and inclusivity, now faces significant threats. Reporter Sahar Zand gains rare access to this embattled community, following their leader, Tanu Hijra Guru, who fights tirelessly for the women she calls her daughters. Outside the village, Sahar witnesses the harsh realities of survival - begging, beatings, prostitution - and speaks to hijras forced to live as men under family pressure. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Heart and Soul, exploring personal approaches to spirituality from around the world

Episoder(2000)

Hungary: The alternative to Orban

Hungary: The alternative to Orban

In April 2026, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces fresh parliamentary elections. He has been in power since 2010, and his party's grip on the Hungarian media and civil society means many felt...

29 Jan 26min

Shepherd's Eye In The Sky

Shepherd's Eye In The Sky

Africa's 250 million nomadic herders, or pastoralists, are the invisible keystone of the continent's food system. They provide 50% of Africa's meat and 75% of its milk, moving livestock across vast ra...

28 Jan 49min

Nigeria: Killings, land and cattle

Nigeria: Killings, land and cattle

On Christmas Day 2025, the US carried out missile strikes on suspected Islamist militants in Nigeria. They came after President Trump said he would intervene to protect Christians amid controversial c...

27 Jan 29min

Mrinalini Mukherjee: Hemp sculptures

Mrinalini Mukherjee: Hemp sculptures

Art from the circle of friends, family and teachers of artist Mrinalini Mukherjee is now on show at London's Royal Academy, alongside her giant hemp sculptures. Sheetal Parmar hears about the planning...

26 Jan 26min

US foreign policy in five doctrines

US foreign policy in five doctrines

Looking back at five big US foreign policy shifts from the Monroe doctrine in the 19th Century to the post-9/11 strategies of the Bush doctrine in the early 2000s. Justin Webb and his guests examine h...

25 Jan 56min

Protest in the age of the 'Kill Switch'

Protest in the age of the 'Kill Switch'

In the face of widespread protests, the Iranian government ‘switched off’ the country’s access to the internet on 8th January. In Uganda, prior to recent elections, the government of president Yoweri ...

24 Jan 26min

Living in Greenland

Living in Greenland

Described by Donald Trump as “a giant piece of ice,” the world’s largest island has found itself at the centre of global attention. The president’s demands to take over the self-governing Danish terri...

24 Jan 23min

Daughters of thunder

Daughters of thunder

In small towns and rural areas across the south of the United States traditional family churches have long been key guardians of black culture, memory and community spirit. Until very recently women c...

23 Jan 26min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
alt-fortalt
aftenpodden-usa
konspirasjonspodden
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
popradet
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
grenselos
wolfgang-wee-uncut
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
fladseth
synnve-og-vanessa
frokostshowet-pa-p5
min-barneoppdragelse
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
rss-dannet-uten-piano
den-politiske-situasjonen