The first Islamic school for transgender people opened in the South Asian country of Bangladesh on November 6th.  With nearly 1.5 million transgender people in the country, clerics view this as the first steps towards integrating the discriminated minority into society.

Bangladesh has long recognised the third gender, however the community have lived in social exclusion, surviving by either begging or prostitution.

Despite not being allowed to attend Mosque, students have begun Koranic lessons and other will get similar lesson.  Clerics have stated that "they want to end discrimination.  Allah does not discriminate between people.  Islam treats everyone as human beings. Hijras (as Transgender people are referred to in the county) should enjoy all rights like any other human being".

The opening of the school has not gone un-noticed with several major news outlets such as the BBC reporting on this monumental move.