State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin on Sunday called for stronger coordination among government institutions, development organisations and other stakeholders to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities.
She made the remarks at a national dialogue titled “Disability-Friendly Infrastructure and Employment for Persons with Disabilities” held at the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka, marking Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) 2026.
The event was organised by Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and the Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN) under the Disability Inclusive Civic Engagement (DiCE) project.
The project is funded by the governments of Switzerland and Canada and the European Union, and implemented through GFA Consulting Group GmbH with support from the Nagorikata–Citizenship Civic Engagement Fund. It is jointly implemented by B-SCAN, the Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID) and the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD).
Speaking as the chief guest, Farzana said public and private institutions must work together to ensure universal accessibility and create employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
She said the government plans to establish a centralised data centre to maintain accurate information on persons with disabilities and available services.
She also reiterated government directives on digital accessibility, free legal aid for persons with disabilities and fare concessions in public transport, noting that persons with disabilities are entitled to a 25% discount on air-conditioned buses and a 50% discount on non-air-conditioned buses.
Farzana Sharmin urged public and private organisations to publish disability-disaggregated data and reports to support evidence-based policymaking.
Dr Nazneen Kawsar Chowdhury, executive chairman (secretary) of the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA), attended as special guest and called for accessibility in buses, trains and all public spaces across the country.
She said many persons with disabilities still face barriers to independent mobility, making accessible workplaces and infrastructure essential for inclusion.
Architect Md Nafizur Rahman, principal research officer at the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), said accessibility provisions should be incorporated directly into the core sections of the national building code instead of being placed in annexes.
Khandaker Jahurul Alam, executive director of CSID, delivered the welcome address.
Muhammad Iftekhar Mahmud, director of B-SCAN, presented the keynote paper and said that although a national action plan on disability inclusion exists, no dedicated budget allocation has been made for its implementation.
Nazmul Bari, executive director of CDD, chaired the session and said persons with disabilities remain significantly underrepresented in mainstream employment.
During the open discussion, Zahidul Kabir of BRAC said development initiatives would remain inadequate without disability-focused budget allocations across government ministries.
Representatives from government agencies, professional bodies and organisations of persons with disabilities took part in the dialogue.
The event ended with a vote of thanks from George Sarkar on behalf of the DiCE project team, while Salma Mahbub, executive director of B-SCAN, moderated the session.
