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Discard ‘negative mindset’ about disabled people: PM

8 || risingbd.com

Published: 13:13, 5 December 2019   Update: 15:18, 26 July 2020
Discard ‘negative mindset’ about disabled people: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today renewed her government’s determination to build a disparity-less society and urged the people to discard their “negative mindset” about the persons with disabilities.

“We were taught in the childhood not to call the blinds as blinds and the crippled as crippled. These teachings will have to be given to the children (from their childhood) because they (disabled) are all human beings and they’ll move together (with us) — it’s the biggest word,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina added: “We’ve to change our negative outlook about the persons with disabilities.”

The prime minister said this while addressing as the chief guest the inaugural function of the 28th International Day of Persons with Disabilities and the 21st National Day of Persons with Disabilities-2019 at Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation at Mirpur in the capital this morning.

Through the function, jointly organised by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation, she opened the newly-constructed Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Complex – named ‘Suborno Bhaban’.

The premier said her government wants to establish a disparity-less society in the country by fulfilling all basic needs for all.

“Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman brought the country’s independence … our aim is that all people of this independent country will live with equal rights and we’re working with this goal,” she said.

Mentioning that autism or disability is not a disease or sickness, Sheikh Hasina said her government is making strides so that those suffering from autism and disabilities can live together with the mainstream people of the society.

“We know that it’s a huge painful matter for the parents whose children are suffering from such disabilities and we’ve taken various initiatives and programmes to remove their miseries,” she said.

Highlighting the country’s tremendous socioeconomic development, the premier said her government gives importance to the disabled people in this uplift.

“We want the country’s development and we give importance to the persons with disabilities so that that they don’t remain behind this uplift,” she added.

Elaborating her government’s various steps for the welfare of the persons with disabilities, the prime minister said the Awami League government, after assuming office in 1996, established the Jatiya Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation in 1999.

“Later, we enacted the Persons with Disabilities Rights and Protection Act 2013, the Neuro Developmental Disability Protection Trust Act, 2013 and the Rehabilitation Council Act 2018 to ensure their rights and safety,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on imparting more training to the disabled people by the Jatiya Protibondhi Unnaayan Foundation so that they don’t need to be dependent on others.

“Not only providing the financial support, they (foundation) could help the persons with disabilities by rendering healthcare facilities and giving training to them,” she said.

The prime minister recalled that after independence, Bangabandhu had allocated huge lands for the social welfare ministry across the country.

“We can establish more institutions in those places and we’ve already directed the ministry to undertake projects at upazila level tracing out their unused and fallow lands,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has a plan to make arrangements for ensuring various facilities including training, games and sports and even employments for the disabled at the district and upazila levels._BSS.

 

Dhaka/Nasim

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