In a recent and distressing episode in Chittagong, seven visually impaired students failed their SSC exams, not due to a lack of preparation, but because of a preventable crisis. There were no scribes available to assist them during the exam.
This wasn’t a case of individual neglect. It was a failure of system design, of an education policy that still treats inclusion as an optional add-on rather than a fundamental principle.
Unfortunately, this incident isn’t isolated. It reflects a broader pattern of how disability support in Bangladesh remains fragmented, insufficient, and too often reliant on individual initiatives or NGO programs to make up for gaps in state services.
A recent qualitative study on one of BRAC’s disability inclusive programs offers some sobering insights into what happens when institutional structures fall short and what modest, focused interventions can actually achieve.
Safety nets in name only
Successive governments in Bangladesh have pledged to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Laws exist. Allowance schemes exist. Cards exist. Yet on the ground, people struggle to access even the most basic forms of assistance.
From the study, it’s clear that bureaucratic delays, misinformation, and local-level favouritism routinely prevent families from accessing disability allowances. One poor mother for example turned to her local union parishad for help, but officials accused her of faking her toddler’s disability and sent her away empty-handed, even though her child was born with severe mobility issues. She believes officials show favouritism when awarding disability allowances, giving preference to people with whom they have personal connections.
“We are poor; they won’t give us anything,” she says with bitterness. “We would have to pay a UP member or chairman thousands of taka if we asked them to intervene in our favour.” In another case, a family waited months for a disability card, only to find out their benefits had been misrouted to another person due to an administrative error.
Since the change of national government in August 2024, many local-level structures, particularly union parishads, have become less responsive. For families dependent on these institutions to process allowances, file applications, or simply give updates, the silence is growing heavier.
When small interventions matter
Across Bangladesh, numerous small yet impactful programs are working to change the landscape for people with disabilities. These programs often take the form of community-based interventions that provide accessible education, physical rehabilitation, job readiness, and social inclusion. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly stepping in to fill the gaps, often bringing essential services directly to individuals who larger government efforts would otherwise overlook.
There are several NGOs, for example, that run programs in rural Bangladesh focusing on providing mobility aids, rehabilitation services, and inclusive education to children and adults with disabilities. Besides, they partner with local organizations to deliver home-based services, ensuring that people with mobility issues can access treatment and education.
The study also reveals that even modest, well-structured support can change lives when it is attentive, adaptive, and delivered with care. These programs offered participants services that the broader system often failed to provide. One participant reflected on his improved condition through a personalized rehabilitation therapy plan:
“I thought I would never be able to move my left hand and do any work with it, as I couldn’t continue my treatment because of my financial condition. Now I sleep better knowing I can help my family with work.”
These outcomes are not flashy. They are slow, often partial, and face many constraints. But they reflect what becomes possible when the approach is patient, responsive, and built around real needs.
Bridging gaps must be a public commitment
The challenge is that these programs are limited in scope and reach. While NGOs and local initiatives play a crucial role, their efforts are not a substitute for inclusive public service delivery.
Disability inclusion cannot remain the responsibility of non-governmental organizations alone. For meaningful, long-lasting change, disability support must be integrated into national strategies and public systems. This includes ensuring accessible education, healthcare, and employment opportunities for all, regardless of ability.
It would be misleading to frame NGO efforts as a solution to structural problems. These programs often operate in only a handful of areas. What about the rest of the country? What happens when the program ends? Why should families have to wait for non-state actors to fill basic roles that the government must perform?
Though the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act (2013) is comprehensive, we lack sustained, decentralized implementation. Local governments, currently weakened and disjointed, need to be reactivated with proper staffing, training, and oversight.
Allowances must not just exist; they must be accessible, timely, and shielded from favouritism. True disability inclusion requires a commitment from all levels of society, from local communities to national policy-makers, to ensure that systems work for everyone.
Rights-based disability inclusion
The case of the visually impaired students in Chittagongreminds us what is at stake when disability inclusion is treated as a logistics issue rather than a rights issue. These students lost an academic year. But what they’re really at risk of losing is trust; trust in a system that claims to support them, but regularly forgets them.
If the new administration is serious about disability rights, it must start by listening to families, to caregivers, to people living with disabilities, and begin fixing the basics.
Functional disability registries and local-level helpdesks should be maintained. Also, clear timelines and public accountability for allowance disbursement should be ensured. Partnerships with trained community therapists can take the public service door-to-door. Most importantly, ensuring that schools, hospitals, and public spaces are truly inclusive, not just in words, but in practice.
A just society doesn’t outsource its care, it builds systems that work for all.
Tahasin Tasnim Mohce is a Research Associate at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University.
