Dhaka, Sept 30 – Disabled persons at a human chain in Dhaka on Monday demanded the fulfilment of their five demands which include access to all facilities and representation in the National Parliament. The human chain was organized the initiative of disabled persons organizational network of 200 National Alliance of Disabled People’s Organizations (NADPO) in front of the National Press Club.
The human chain led by NADPO President, UNESCAP Disability Rights Champion Abdus Sattar Dulal, Senior Vice President Abu Abdullah, Vice-President Abdul Khalek, Secretary General Shahidul Islam, Finance Secretary Jashim, Iftekhar Hossain Sohel. Other leaders delivered valuable speeches at the human chain.
Abdus Sattar Dulal said, according to a report of WHO and the World Bank, there are 27 million disabled citizens in Bangladesh who are members of 80 million people families in the country. He said that 35 years of rights movement has been waged by their 200 disabled people’s organizations with supports millions of disabled persons of Bangladesh.
He said it is important to ensure disabled citizens’ rights and development in the country. The 5 point-demand he includes call to reserve 10% seat in National Parliament for the representatives of disabled persons; empower DPOs and implement their development programs; earmark 10% fund out of the tax amount government is receiving from the disabled people every year for their development; to make all infrastructures, transports, health, education and public services accessible and appropriate to disabled persons considering the types of disability; and knowledgeable professionals on disability, open separate department on “disabled persons and development” for disabled persons’ in every university in Bangladesh and NADPO representatives should be involved in the process of formulation of policies, plans and programs on persons with disabilities.
In the human chain, NADPO leaders said that the demand was shared with the President, the Prime
Minister, the Speaker, the Finance Minister and all other Ministers plus all Government’s authorities in the country by submitting a memorandum to honourable Prime Minister. But there is no improvement.
The speakers at the human chain urged to government to accept their 5 (five) point demand soon. Otherwise, they will take up a vigorous programme in future. – Press release
