Disability rights advocate Md Saidul Huq, whose decades-long work has significantly advanced the rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities in Bangladesh, is set to receive the country’s highest civilian honour—the Independence Award (Swadhinata Puruskar)—this year.
The government has decided to confer the award on 15 distinguished individuals and five organisations in recognition of their outstanding contributions at the national level. A gazette notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Thursday, March 5, confirmed the list of recipients.
A gazette notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Thursday, March 5, confirmed the list of recipients.
Md Saidul Huq has been working for more than 35 years to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. A graduate and postgraduate of the University of Dhaka, Huq lost his eyesight at the age of six.
Rather than letting his disability limit his aspirations, he turned the challenge into motivation for social change.
Over the past three decades, Huq has played a key role in advancing disability inclusion, with a focus on protecting rights, expanding special education, and increasing opportunities for persons with disabilities.
To improve eye health services and prevent avoidable blindness among disadvantaged communities, Huq established an eye hospital that now provides services to people from low-income backgrounds and has gained recognition at the community level.
Recognising the critical importance of education and rehabilitation, he founded the Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organization (BERDO) in 1991. What began as a small initiative has since expanded into a national-level organisation operating in 15 districts across Bangladesh.
Under BERDO’s initiatives, a residential school for blind children has been established, along with a large Braille production centre and a Braille library, helping expand access to specialised education for visually impaired students.
The organisation has also introduced computer training programmes, vocational and skills development initiatives, and employment support to enhance independence among persons with disabilities. In addition, BERDO runs programmes focused on women’s empowerment and continues advocacy efforts for the effective implementation of the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013.
In his professional career, Huq also served as a lecturer at T&T College.
His innovative work has earned him several prestigious international recognitions, including the Ashoka Fellowship in 1994, the Robert S. McNamara Fellowship from the World Bank in 2001, and the Reinhard Mohn Fellowship in 2002. He has also participated in numerous international trainings, workshops, and seminars, gaining extensive global exposure.
In 2023, the Government of Bangladesh honoured Huq with the Ekushey Padak for his outstanding contributions to social development.
Despite decades of achievements, Huq remains committed to continuing his work to ensure greater inclusion, education, and opportunities for persons with disabilities across Bangladesh.
