Speakers, including human rights activists, lawyers and professionals,at a meeting here have stressed for creating and ensuring job opportunities for the physically challenged people to make them self-reliant.The District Employment Implementation Committee for Physically Challenged People organised the meeting at the “Adhikar Chamber” at Katchari Bazaar in the city on Sunday afternoon with its President Advocate M A Basher Tipu in the chair.Rangdhanu District Protibondhi Adhikar Sangstha (RZPAS) and Prottyasha Protibondhi Nari O Shishu Unnayan Sangstha (PPNOSUS) extended cooperation in arranging the meeting with the assistance of ADD International.Vice-presidents of the committee Advocate Shamima Akhter Shirin and Advocate Khairul Alam, its General Secretary and Capacity Development Facilitator of Rangpur district office of ADD International Marufa Begum, Joint Secretaries Advocate Kohinoor Begum, Journalist Mamun Islam (Senior Reporter of BSS) and Advocate AKM Harunur Rashid addressed the meeting.Publicity Secretary of the District Employment Implementation Committee for Physically Challenged People Shakil Ahmed, President of RZPAS Nur Alam and President of PPNOSUS Ummey Kulsum also addressed.The meeting discussed issues like creating awareness on legal and constitutional rights of the physically challenged population,good governance and coordination in and among the different organisations of the disabled people and their employment opportunities.In the meeting, speakers stressed for engaging coordinated efforts in exploring employment opportunities of the persons with disabilities for their jobs in the government, non-government, private and other departments institutions and organisations.They called for creating awareness on the fixed government quota for jobs of the physically challenged people among the government and non-government organisations and private bodies to ensure the quota implementation for the disabled people.They expressed concerned over violation in implementation of the fixed government quota for jobs of the physically challenged people by some government departments in recent times in Rangpur while employing the citizens against various posts. Later, a sewing machine was handed over to vision-impaired woman Nasrine Akhter of village Boiragiganj under Mithapukur upazila at the end of the meeting to make her self-reliant through income generation activities.BSS, Rangpur
