Bangladesh marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024 with a day-long event at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC), highlighting the country’s commitment to advancing disability rights and inclusion. Organised by the Ministry of Social Welfare in collaboration with Sightsavers, UNDP SSPS Programme, and the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) joint initiative, the event brought together key stakeholders to reflect on progress, challenges, and opportunities in creating an inclusive society for all.
This year’s theme, “Amplifying the Leadership of Persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future,” emphasised the importance of empowering persons with disabilities as leaders and changemakers. The event saw the participation of high-level dignitaries, including Lamiya Morshed, Principal Coordinator-SDGs Affairs at the Chief Advisor’s Office as the Chief Guest in the morning session. Other notable speakers included Nargis Khanam, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare; Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh; and representatives from organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), development partners, and the media.
The keynote presented jointly by Aminul Arifeen from UNDP and Ayon Debnath from Sightsavers emphasised the need for a disability inclusive social protection framework and also the importance of 2025 as a milestone year for disability inclusion, with Bangladesh set to present its Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and participate in the Global Disability Summit (GDS). The government was urged to include persons with disabilities in these processes to ensure their voices and leadership shape the nation’s agenda.
Chief guest Lamiya Morshed, Principal Coordinator-SDGs Affairs at the Chief Advisor’s Office, commented that the inclusion of people with disabilities in the VNR process is not only a matter of equity but also a requirement to ensure the credibility and comprehensiveness of our national report. Moreover, she remarked that GDS in 2025 will provide a platform for countries to share their progress and renew their commitments to disability inclusion.
The Ministry of Social Welfare reaffirmed its commitment to creating a disability-inclusive Bangladesh by focusing on systemic reforms. Initiatives such as activating disability committees, appointing focal points in ministries, and engaging OPDs in decision-making were highlighted as essential steps forward.
Gwyn Lewis, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, highlighted the contextualisation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy, reaffirming the UN’s commitment to integrating disability inclusion across all its operations in Bangladesh. Amrita Rejina Rozario, Country Director at Sightsavers Bangladesh, delivered the welcome speech while distinguished guests and panelists including James Goldman, Deputy High Commissioner of the British High Commission and Development Director, Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director at ILO, Gitanjali Singh, Representative, UNWOMEN, Syed Haider, First Secretary and Head of Development Cooperation at the Australian High Commission, Bangladesh, Salma Mahbub, General Secretary at B-SCAN, Monsur Ahmed Choudhuri, Trustee, Impact Foundation, Khandaker Jahurul Alam, Executive Director, CSID, Saidul Haque, Executive Director, BERDO, A.H.M. Noman Khan, Executive Director, CDD amongst others spoke in the event.
The event concluded with a collective call to action for all stakeholders—government, representatives from the UN agencies, development partners, civil society, and OPDs—to work collaboratively toward a more inclusive Bangladesh. As the nation prepares for critical global milestones, the leadership of persons with disabilities will remain central to achieving the vision of an equitable and sustainable future.
