Lawmakers from four political parties have joined forces to establish a Parliamentary Caucus on Disability Rights, seeking to turn disability inclusion into a sustained parliamentary priority through stronger legislation, budget scrutiny and accountability for government commitments.
The cross-party initiative took a significant step forward on Saturday as State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit agreed to serve as convener, with BNP Standing Committee member and MP Selima Rahman and Jamaat-e-Islami Women’s Wing Secretary Nurunnisa Siddiqua MP as co-conveners.
The commitments came at the High-Level Consultation on the Formation of a Parliamentary Caucus on Disability Rights, jointly organised by Sightsavers, Democracy International and the Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization in Dhaka.
Participating MPs pledged to work collectively to advance the rights, dignity and inclusion of persons with disabilities, arguing that a dedicated parliamentary mechanism is needed to translate existing laws and commitments into action.
“Today, representatives from four political parties sat together and spoke with the same commitment and emotion on disability rights. That, in itself, is a significant achievement for Bangladesh,” Muhit said.
“If lawmakers from all parties work together, we can remove the barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating equally in society.”
The state minister said the barriers encountered by persons with disabilities should be regarded as a failure of society rather than a consequence of an individual’s disability.
“A person with a disability is not responsible for the barriers they face every day; those barriers are the result of our collective failure,” he said.
Muhit said the cross-party consensus demonstrated the kind of political cooperation needed to address disability rights.
“The most important achievement today is that lawmakers from four political parties are sitting together with the same commitment to disability rights. This is the kind of Bangladesh we want to build,” he added.
Nurunnisa Siddiqua said persons with disabilities must be recognised as equal citizens whose rights the state has a responsibility to protect.
“Persons with disabilities are citizens of this country and an integral part of our society and families. They have every right as citizens, and it is the responsibility of the state to ensure those rights and provide the support they need,” she said.
The proposed caucus would seek to champion disability-inclusive legislation and policies, push for adequate budget allocations and strengthen parliamentary oversight of the implementation of disability-related commitments.
It would also establish regular engagement between lawmakers and persons with disabilities, Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs), civil society and development partners, giving those directly affected a stronger voice in policymaking.
Participants said Bangladesh has made progress in developing legislation on disability rights, but stressed that implementation remains a major challenge. They argued that a permanent parliamentary platform could prevent disability inclusion from slipping down the political agenda and hold relevant ministries and agencies accountable.
A keynote presentation by Dr Nafeesur Rahman outlined how such a platform could strengthen legislative oversight, influence policymaking and accelerate implementation of existing disability-rights commitments.
Alongside Muhit, Selima and Nurunnisa, MPs Mohammed Akteruzzaman, Advocate Newaz Halima Arli, Eng Mahbuba Hakim, Mst Nazmun Nahar, Nusrat Tabassum Joty, Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, Sunsila Jabrin and Tasmia Prodhan attended the consultation.
Representatives of persons with disabilities and OPDs, as well as development partners, UN agencies, NGOs, international NGOs, academia and the media, also participated.
Sightsavers Country Director Amrita Rejina Rozario, Democracy International Chief of Party Aminul Ehsan and BERDO Executive Director Md Saidul Huq reiterated their organisations’ commitment to supporting the establishment of the caucus and facilitating cooperation among lawmakers and other stakeholders.
If formally established, the caucus would give disability rights a dedicated institutional platform inside Parliament, with lawmakers across party lines working together on legislation, budgets, implementation and accountability.