Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday called on the media to present persons with disabilities with dignity and also work towards becoming more disability-friendly institutions.
The seminar on the role of media in promoting disability equality was held at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka and was organized by ‘Somosti’—a media and communication-focused development organization—with support from Unesco.
The seminar brought together a diverse group of participants, including government officials, journalists, disability rights activists, academics, students, representatives from civil society, and cultural personalities.
The event was held under the initiative ‘Disability Equality in the Media’. Dr Susan Vize, Head of Office and Unesco Representative to Bangladesh, chaired the seminar. Renowned cultural personality Dilara Zaman attended the event as the Chief Guest. Special guests included Muhammad Hiruzzaman, Additional Secretary and Director General of the National Institute of Mass Communication and Hasan Hafiz, Editor of Kaler Kantho and President of the National Press Club.
A panel discussion titled ‘Disability Inclusion in the Media: Practices, Challenges, and the Way Forward’ was moderated by Reaz Ahmad, Editor of Dhaka Tribune. The panel featured expert speakers including Md Abdul Kadir, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Director of the ICBC Project; Professor Imran Hossain, Chair of the Department of Television, Film and Photography, University of Dhaka; SM Manzur Rashid, Senior Advisor, Communications at UNDP-SPSS; and Vaskar Bhattacharjee, National Consultant at the a2i Project.
Noore Jannat Proma, Head of Media Development and Access to Information at Unesco, Dhaka, delivered the welcome speech. The event was moderated by Mir Masruruzzaman, Executive Director of Somosti.
In her speech, Dilara Zaman praised the inspiring event and said: “The event and discussions opened my eyes today. I want to extend my support to the persons with disabilities around me with love. From now on, I will encourage people around me, fellow actors, mothers I meet, to offer even a small gesture of support to those living with disabilities.”
Dr Susan Vize said that while some progress has been made in disability inclusion, systemic barriers and unconscious biases continue to limit opportunities for persons with disabilities, especially in the media and employment sectors. Drawing attention to the stark underrepresentation of people with disabilities within global institutions, she urged media professionals to challenge existing stereotypes and shift away from portraying individuals with disabilities solely through narratives of pity or hardship. Instead, she advocated for showcasing their expertise, achievements, and full humanity.
Hasan Hafiz emphasized on the role of the media, saying that: “The media has a responsibility to present persons with disabilities with dignity and must also work toward becoming a more disability-friendly institution.”
Muhammad Hiruzzaman said: “The government is committed to supporting the development of a disability-friendly media sector, and the National Institute of Mass Communication is working in that direction.”
During the event, the Bengali adaptation of Unesco’s Practical Manual on Disability Equality in the Media was officially launched. Senior journalist Shahnaz Munni, who was involved in the adaptation, also spoke at the launch.
As part of the program, eight university-level students were awarded for winning an essay competition organized in observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024. The competition focused on disability inclusion in newsrooms and programming. The first-place winners were Md Jariful Islam Jim from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (Bengali section) and Sumaiya Khanam from the Department of Botany, University of Dhaka (English section).
The event concluded with a vibrant cultural performance by artists from B-SCAN, featuring short drama, music, dance, and recitation.