Initiative to protect their rights lacking

Around 1.60 crore mentally and physically challenged people in Bangladesh are deprived due to lack of proper initiatives to protect their rights in both national and international level, said speakers at a national consultation programme yesterday.

"Rights and Protection of Persons with Disability Act 2013 was put into force in October 2013, but it is yet to be framed," said Prof Shamsul Alam, member (senior secretary), general economic division of the planning commission.

Prof Shamsul also suggested preparing a proper database for the mentally and physically challenged.

Action Aid Bangladesh and Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID) organised the national consultation on "Sustainable Development Goals and Disability: Bangladesh Perspective," at BIISS auditorium, in the capital.

Financing is the primary challenge for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), between now and 2030, said Dr Rezaul Haque, trustee of Impact Foundation Bangladesh. The global community is set to spend about $2.5 trillion on development, but UN estimates about $170 trillion will be required to achieve the SDGs and associated targets and a huge portion of the costs have to come from national budget, he added.

Rezaul recommended that a right, instead of a welfare, based strategy is necessary to ensure SDGs and their targets, concerning mentally and physically challenged persons, are achieved on time and this strategy should be aligned with the overall national strategy for implementing SDGs.

Monsur Ahmed Choudhuri, member, executive committee of Disability Council International; Farah Kabir, country director of Action Aid Bangladesh, and Prof Mohammad Abu Yousuf of Dhaka University, among others, addressed the programme.