According to the 2022 National Survey of Persons with Disabilities (NSPD) by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Bangladesh has nearly 4.3 million people with disabilities, with a majority facing physical challenges.
These individuals face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, education, and employment. Only 40 percent of people with disabilities attend school, and a mere 27 percent are engaged in economic activities.
However, with the right support, people with disabilities could become valuable contributors to the country.
Speakers emphasized this potential at the National Gathering of Persons with Disabilities, hosted by the Promotion of Inclusive Community for Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities, and Drug Users/Abusers in Bangladesh (SDDB) project of Caritas Bangladesh on Tuesday, November 12, at the Holy Cross Pastoral and Retreat Center in Bhadun, near Dhaka.
The gathering brought together over 200 people with disabilities from 24 unions across the country.
Shahadat Hossain, Kaliganj Upazila Social Services Officer, noted that in the past, families often kept persons with disabilities hidden out of shame.
Thanks to various governmental and non-governmental efforts, people with disabilities are now advocating for their rights openly.
“They possess intelligence and abilities, and many have already accessed education and employment opportunities. Providing them with the right opportunities could turn them into valuable contributors to national development,” he said.
Bishop Theotonius Gomes, retired prelate of Dhaka, said, “We come to this world with the gift of life to create beauty. Through service, let us appreciate the beauty within our special brothers and sisters, so they can be a blessing to us, and we, in turn, to them.”
In his address, Daud Jibon Das, Program Director of Caritas Bangladesh, said that the social action arm of the Church in Bangladesh has been working for over 50 years to improve the lives of marginalized people.
He emphasized the organization’s ongoing collaboration with the government to integrate individuals with disabilities into mainstream society.
Through Caritas’ SDDB project in eight regions, 6,378 individuals across 24 unions have directly benefited and uplifted their lives.
Angela Gaertner, representing Caritas Germany, spoke to representatives from disability clubs across the country, encouraging them to take ownership of the SDDB project.
She emphasized that the initiative, already a success, would be led by the participants themselves. “By collaborating across different clubs, you’re advocating for rights and creating a future where people with disabilities and senior citizens can live peacefully together in harmony,” she said.
Other speakers included Caritas Germany’s representatives Vollmer Nicole and Timme Anna Lena; Rev. Fr. James Clement Cruze, CSC, Director of Holy Cross Pastoral and Retreat Center; Shawrab Rozario, Regional Director of Caritas Dhaka; Abu Bakkar Mia, Chairman of Tumilia Union Parishad, Kaliganj, Gazipur; and Binoy Rodrigues, Program Officer of the SDDB project at Caritas Bangladesh.
