Disabled people in Bangladesh rally for rights on the International Day for Persons with Disabilities

From The Daily Star in Bangladesh:

The 17th International Day of Persons with Disability will be observed Dec. 3 in the country as elsewhere across the globe to strengthen the campaign for ensuring the rights of the physically and mentally challenged people.

The theme of the day is 'Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: Dignity and justice for all of us'.

The government and different non-government organisations including National Alliance of Disabled People's Organisations, Bangladesh Organisation for Disabled Advancement and Bangladesh Protibandhi Kalyan Samity have chalked out elaborate programmes to observe the day.

The day's programmes include seminar, discussion, and procession.

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the programme of the day at 9:30am at Osmani Memorial auditorium. He will also expose a memorial stamp marking the day.

Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Malek, special assistant to the chief adviser, informed this at a press conference yesterday organised by National Forum of Organisations Working with the Disabled at National Press Club.

Two seminars will be held at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. respectively, he added.Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, director general of the Directorate of Social Service, Dewan Zakir Hossain, secretary of the ministry of Social Welfare, Masuda Binte Kadir, joint secretary (development) of social welfare ministry, Mansur Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of NFOWD and Farida Yeasmin were present at the press conference.

On the eve of the day, a rally was organised by Action on Disability and Development (ADD) with participation of around 400 persons with disability at TSC intersection yesterday. Besides, a rally was also held at Central Shaheed Minar demanding equal rights and dignity of the persons with disability. From the rally they demanded implementation of the United Nations Charter of Disabled Persons' Right, formulation of policy with their participation, and creating friendly environment where they can participate in elections without any constraint.

The demands also include forming standing committee for the disabled at national and local level, and preserving 5 percent quota in government and 10 percent in private services. Dhaka university Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz, former justice Golam Rabbani, Senior Vice President (Programme) of ATN Bangla Nowajesh Ali Khan, Golam Mortuza, Rokeya Kabir, and Colonel (retd) Faruk Khan attended the programme.Bangladesh Protibandhi Kalyan Samity also organised a seminar on 'UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities' at Biam Foundation auditorium. Speakers at the seminar underscored the need for changing mindset of people and raising awareness on disability issues.