Leaders of organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) from districts across Bangladesh took to the skies for the first time on Monday, flying to Cox’s Bazar for a three-day leadership and planning workshop aimed at strengthening disability rights leadership nationwide.
Organized by Action on Disability and Development (ADD) International in partnership with FCDO/UK Aid, the event marked a “confidence-building milestone,” giving grassroots leaders the chance to exchange knowledge, chart inclusive action plans for 2025, and amplify local voices in national policymaking.
“For many, this was their first flight,” said Golam Faruk Hamim, Bangladesh Program Team Lead at ADD International. “Inclusive development is impossible if people with disabilities are not given real opportunities. The journey boosted their confidence and reminded them that they belong here too. Sometimes, all that’s needed is to open the door.”
The workshop focused on leadership development, knowledge exchange, and building a participatory roadmap for the coming year. Despite the existence of the 2006 Disability Welfare Act and the 2013 Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, participants said enforcement remains weak, leaving many rights largely symbolic.
“There are laws, but little enforcement,” said Mohammad Zahidul Islam, an OPD leader. “Whether in education, healthcare, employment, or social protection—we do not get equal access. Without stronger government oversight, things will not change.”
Shadhona Bala, another participant, added: “If the laws were implemented locally, discrimination would reduce significantly. But inequality is still visible at service points every day.”
Several participants reflected on how the flight itself reshaped their self-perception. A woman representative from Tarash upazila, Sirajganj, said: “I never imagined I would travel by air. Today, I feel like I can, that I am capable, that my limitations are not stronger than my dreams.”
Throughout the workshop, participants shared experiences highlighting structural inequality, including harassment and delays when accessing government services, limited employment opportunities, poor accessibility in institutions, extra pressure in Rohingya-hosting areas, lack of assistive support, and gatekeeping when accessing disability allowances. Women and children with disabilities were reported to face even harsher realities.
On the first day, OPD representatives presented a unified set of demands:
Stronger national monitoring to enforce the 2006 and 2013 disability laws
Regular policy dialogues between OPDs and district administrations
Specialized support mechanisms for women, children, and persons with disabilities in remote areas
Priority employment quotas across government and private sectors
Mandatory accessibility in schools, hospitals, and public buildings
Expansion and capacity-building of OPD networks
ADD International framed the workshop as part of a long-term strategy to move disability rights work from tokenistic inclusion toward genuine leadership. “This is more than a workshop—it’s about transforming how disability leadership is nurtured. From policy tables to local communities, meaningful participation must be the norm,” organisers said.
The organizers expressed hope that the confidence, skills, and solidarity built at Cox’s Bazar would strengthen the disability rights movement across Bangladesh.
