RANGPUR, Oct 23, 2018 (BSS) – Officials and rights activists have said the
present government puts maximum importance on mainstreaming of the disabled
population to ensure their socio-political and human rights to attain
sustainable development goals (SDGs).
They viewed this at inaugural function of the two-day district conference
of representatives of the disabled peoples’ organisations (DPOs) held on
Monday in the conference room of ASOD Training Centre in the city.
The National Council of Disabled Women with assistance of Action on
Disability and Development (ADD) International Bangladesh organised the
conference participated by representatives of all union and upazila level
DPOs of the district.
Deputy Commissioner Enamul Habib attended the conference as the chief guest
with country director of ADD International Bangladesh Shafikul Islam in the
chair.
Deputy director of the Department of Social Services Abdur Razzaque, deputy
director of the Department of Youth Development Dilgir Hossain, District
Women Affairs Officer Kawser Pervin, programme officer of ADD International
Bangladesh Subodh Kumar Das and its Disability Affairs Officer Taposh Kumar
Barma addressed as special guests.
Subodh Kumar Das discussed the SDGs announced by the UN and narrated
activities of the DPOs in ensuring development and welfare of the physically
challenged people.
Representatives of the DPOs said that sustainable national development
would not be achieved without mainstreaming of the people with disabilities
by turning them into worthy human resources to ensure their equal socio-
political and human rights. Shafikul Islam termed the people with
disabilities an integral part of the society and said that the disabled
people could do the same like the capable ones if adequate opportunities were
provided to them to enjoy the basic human rights as per the UN Convention
concerned.
The chief guest said the disabled population and disability are no more
being considered as a burden of the society in the developed countries where
the physically challenged population has been mainstreamed with development.
“The present government has taken necessary steps to provide need- based
and suitable education and training to the disabled people for turning them
into productive human resources for their mainstreaming with development to
attain the SDGs,” he added.