Bangladesh is aiming to build a more inclusive workforce. The government is hiring persons with disabilities. Companies are introducing diversity policies. Corporate leaders increasingly view inclusion as both a social responsibility and a business necessity.
These are all positives, and ought to be celebrated.
However, what we need is not simply recruitment policies or employment quotas, but something much more basic. While inclusive jobs should be celebrated, inclusive education needs greater focus.
The end of inclusion is employment, and the journey starts with education.
Bangladesh does not know exactly how many persons with disabilities it has; however, according to the Department of Social Services, about 3.84 million persons with disabilities are registered in the country.
The country's educational infrastructure presents a different picture. There are only about 56 government-funded special schools for children with disabilities in Bangladesh, a remarkably low number for a nation of 180 million people.
The shortage is clearer when compared with the need. The Department of Primary Education reports that only about 81,000 children with disabilities are enrolled in primary education, and government scholarships cover a similar number. This means only a small proportion of the millions of persons with disabilities are included.
The issue is not simply the number of schools; it is also where those schools are located.
Specialized institutions are mainly in Dhaka and other large cities. In most rural districts, specialized education is out of reach for families. Parents must either move at high financial cost or give up the idea. Many children stay home because no suitable school is nearby. For many families, the path to employment stops before it starts.
When employers advertise inclusive jobs, the outcome is predictable. Human resources departments struggle to find qualified applicants with disabilities, not for lack of talent but because opportunities were denied years earlier.
This shows a contradiction in the way we have adopted a national policy.
We celebrate inclusive recruitment because it is visible. Appointment ceremonies make headlines, and companies receive recognition for diversity and inclusion.
Yet classrooms that produce tomorrow’s workforce receive less attention. We invest more energy in the pipeline’s end than at its beginning.
If children with disabilities cannot access a good education, they are less likely to complete secondary school, pursue higher education, receive technical training, or acquire the skills employers seek.
Although Bangladesh aims to become a knowledge-based, upper-middle-income economy, millions remain excluded from the system that develops human capital.
That is not just a question of social welfare; it is an economic issue.
Bangladesh often discusses productivity, the demographic dividend, and the need for a skilled workforce. Yet each child excluded from education is a talent the country will never develop.
Excluding people with disabilities from education now shrinks the future workforce, reduces productivity, and slows economic growth.
Inclusion therefore is an investment in national competitiveness.
Globally, emphasis has shifted towards inclusive education, in which ordinary schools serve all learners through accessible facilities, trained teachers, assistive technologies, accessible materials, and specialized support. Special schools will always play an important role for children needing intensive support, but they should not be the only option.
Bangladesh has a long way to go. Many schools lack basic facilities for students with disabilities, and there must be a greater focus on inclusive physical infrastructure. Yet, inclusive education also requires preparing teachers, adapting curricula, providing classroom support, and ensuring children receive appropriate help from an early age.
By promoting diversity and inclusion, corporate Bangladesh can strengthen the talent pipeline before recruitment begins. Through CSR and ESG initiatives, companies can fund inclusive classrooms, offer scholarships, provide assistive technologies, train teachers, offer internships, give students with disabilities career advice, and help develop their skills.
Many jobs place excessive emphasis on formal academic qualifications and overlook practical skills, potential, and reasonable workplace adjustments. An inclusive labour market should recognize ability alongside credentials.
The appointment letters issued deserve praise because they show progress and offer hope. But we should not take appointments to mean there is systemic inclusion.
The true test of our success will not be the number of appointment ceremonies we hold, but whether a child with a disability in Kurigram has the same opportunity as a child in Dhaka to learn, develop skills, and compete for a job.
Inclusive employment does not begin when the appointment letter is handed over; it starts years earlier, when a child first enters a classroom and believes they belong.
Bangladesh has demonstrated a desire to create inclusive workplaces. The next challenge, however, is much bigger: Establishing an education system that gives every child, regardless of disability or place of birth, an equal chance of reaching those workplaces.
Until such a system is in place, inclusive employment will continue to be an admirable achievement for a small number of people rather than a real opportunity for most.
Shafiq R Bhuiyan is working at BRAC Bank as a Vice President and Head of Internal Communication and CSR.