First transgender newsreader breaks down in tears after finishing her first bulletin on TV

Bangladesh's first transgender newsreader made a perfect debut for a TV channel before breaking town in tears after completing her bulletin on International Women's Day.

Tashnuva Anan Shishir read the news bulletin for three minutes in a move dubbed a 'historic step' by many.

Tashnuva has had to face years of sexual discrimination and humiliation and her father also shunned her. Daily Mail reported that Tashnuva made four suicide attempts to escape the constant humiliation.

Tashnuva was born as Kamal Hossain Shishir but she discovered in her early teens that she was a transgender.

Talking to Daily Mail, the 29-year-old Tashnuva said, "The bullying was so unbearable I attempted suicide four times. My father stopped talking to me for years. When I couldn't cope with it any more, I left home... I couldn't stand the neighbours telling my father about how I should act or walk in a masculine way."

Tashnuva left her home and came to Dhaka before moving to Narayanganj in order to underwent hormone therapy. tashnuva then started working for charities and acted in theatres to earn some money. She, however, continued her studies despite all the hardships.

In January, Tashnuva created history by becoming the first Bangladeshi transgender person to study for a master's in public health.

It is to be noted that Bangladesh government has since 2013 allowed trans people to be identified as a separate gender. In 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangaldesh allowed transgender to register to vote as a third gender.