A coalition of 14 organizations working for the rights of persons with disabilities has called for a revision of the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026-27, arguing that the allocations earmarked for the disability sector remain insufficient to address the needs of millions of people with disabilities across Bangladesh.
The demand came from a joint reaction meeting held on Sunday, led by the Access Bangladesh Foundation and participated in by 13 other disability rights organizations.
While welcoming several positive measures included in the proposed Tk9,38,000 crore budget, the coalition said the overall allocation for persons with disabilities falls far short of ensuring meaningful inclusion, social protection, and economic empowerment.
Speaking at the meeting, Albert Mollah, executive director of Access Bangladesh Foundation, and Ashrafun Nahar Misti, executive director of Women with Disabilities Development Foundation, acknowledged a number of progressive initiatives in the proposed budget.
These include increasing the monthly disability allowance from Tk900 to Tk1,000, expanding the number of beneficiaries from 3.45 million to 3.8 million, raising the amount and coverage of education stipends for students with disabilities, and reducing Advance Income Tax (AIT) on the import of 15 essential assistive devices from 2% to 1%.
However, the organizations argued that the increases are inadequate given the continued rise in living costs and inflation.
According to the coalition, the total allocation for the disability sector in the proposed budget stands at Tk4,972.56 crore, representing only 3.45% of the social safety net budget and approximately 0.53% of the overall national budget.
The coalition expressed concern that such a limited allocation would make it difficult to achieve the objectives of disability inclusion outlined in national policies and international commitments.
The joint statement was endorsed by 14 organizations, including Access Bangladesh Foundation, Women with Disabilities Development Foundation, B-SCAN, Disabled Child Foundation, Disabled Welfare Society, Society of the Deaf and Sign Language Users, Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization, Bangladesh Pratibandhi Unnayan Trust, Satarkul Pratibandhi Unnayan Sangstha, National Council of Disabled Women, Centre for Services and Information on Disability, Visually Impaired People’s Society, Disabled Different Program and Disability Rights Advocacy Fund.
Key demands
The organizations placed a number of recommendations before the government for consideration during the parliamentary budget discussion.
Among their key demands are the introduction of budget allocations reflecting commitments made in the election manifesto, including the establishment of a National Civic Service programme to create employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, a special development fund, and rehabilitation support for individuals who acquired disabilities during the July Movement.
They also called for raising the monthly disability allowance to Tk5,000 for persons with severe disabilities and Tk2,000 for those with moderate disabilities.
The coalition further proposed a monthly caregiver allowance of Tk3,000 for full-time caregivers of persons with profound disabilities.
Other recommendations include bringing all students with disabilities under the education stipend programme while ensuring they simultaneously receive disability allowances, introducing disability-focused allocations across ministries, and creating dedicated funding for skills development and employment generation initiatives.
The organizations also urged the government to allocate resources for the production and distribution of artificial limbs and assistive devices, prioritize persons with disabilities in social protection schemes, provide financial support to grassroots Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and allocate funds for implementing disability-related laws, policies and action plans.
Call for a rights-based approach
The coalition criticized the budget formulation process, alleging that no formal pre-budget consultations were conducted with persons with disabilities or their representative organizations.
The speakers emphasized that disability inclusion should not be treated solely as a welfare issue but rather as a matter of rights, participation and equal citizenship.
They urged the government to revise the proposed budget during the ongoing parliamentary session and adopt a more inclusive and rights-based approach to disability budgeting.
“Budgetary commitments must move beyond symbolic increases and translate into meaningful investments that improve the quality of life, education, employment opportunities and social protection of persons with disabilities,” the coalition said in its joint statement.