Staff Correspondent

‘Country has roughly 1.60 crore persons with disabilities and most of them are marginalized’ Dhaka: Speakers at a workshop called upon both public and private organizations to take necessary steps for ensuring the access to employment for persons with disabilities.

The country has roughly 1.60 crore persons with disabilities and most of them are poor, vulnerable and marginalized. They are still being deprived of getting jobs due to lack of education and employability skills. Though they have rights to employment and eligible for other public services and benefits as per the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013, they observed.

They said this while addressing a workshop on ‘Implementation of the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013’ at BERDO Conference Hall at Rupnagor of Mirpur in the capital. Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (BERDO), a rights-based organization, in cooperation with CBM Global Bangladesh organized the workshop for raising awareness for proper implementation of the Act.

Citing the Article 10 of the Act, they said it called for creating scope to employment for persons with disabilities (PWDs) at government and non-governmental institutions on priority basis. It also stipulates that PWDs cannot be deprived of getting public jobs due to their physical condition. ‘The Act further stressed on creating self-employment, business initiative or self-business for persons with disabilities, and ensuring discrimination-free behaviour regarding access to Bank loan and commercial facilities including power, gas and water supplies’.

Besides, the Act called for taking steps for enhancing skill for jobs and ensuring enabling environment at work places for persons with disabilities, relaxing the fixed age limit, and keeping quota system for them for appointment at public and private organizations, they added.

Bangladesh is bound to take steps for ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities, as its national constitution stipulated for ensuring equal rights of all without any discrimination and Bangladesh has ratified UN Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities, they observed.

Dr. Md. Omar Faruk, Rector (Secretary) of Bangladesh Civil Service Administration Academy under Public Administration Ministry, attended as chief guest, while Md. Jahangir Alam, vice president of BERDO, was in the chair.

In his speech, Dr. Md. Omar Faruk called upon all concerned to work together to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities.

The chief guest said, persons with disabilities have the same potentials that should be flourished by eradicating all kinds of discrimination and ending stigma about them. It is needed to mobilize resources and to involve them with technology for improving their current poor living condition.

In his welcome address, Md. Saidul Huq, Executive Director of BERDO, stressed on activating committees formed at different levels for ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities. Feroza Khatun, Deputy Manager of BERDO, presented the keynote paper at the event held on Saturday.

Ershad Hossain Khan, Joint Secretary of Social Welfare Ministry, Md. Ajmol Haque, Director (Planning, Development and IT) of National Disability Development Foundation, Amrita Rezina Rozario, Country Director of Sightsavers Bangladesh, Dewan Mahfuz-e-Mowla, Advocacy and Communication Manager of CBM Global Bangladesh, among others, spoke on the occasion.

A number of persons with disabilities, representatives from different NGOs, banks, eminent members from civil societies, prominent businesspersons, entrepreneurs, and social workers were also present.
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Md. Saidul huq
Executive Director
BERDO
Mobile (on request): 01631072932