'We'll support steps to help the disabled’

Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Lorraine Barker (L) speaking at inauguration of a nursery for the disabled at Manikganj yesterday. PHOTO: STAR

Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Lorraine Barker yesterday said her government will support any initiative that will benefit the disabled people in Bangladesh.

The Australian government's Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) is comprehensive and addresses disability issues at all levels, she said.

In Bangladesh, however, the dynamics of disability is quite different as misconceptions about disability are often associated with lack of education.

Disabled people are often considered a burden and even deserted by communities, and at times by their families.

She was addressing a function marking inauguration of a nursery at Dautia in Manikganj, raised to help the disabled.

It was built by the Manikganj Disabled People's Oganisation for Development (MDPOD) in cooperation with the Bangladesh Protibandhi Kalyan Samity (BPKS) with funds provided by the Direct Aid Porgramme of Australian government.

The High Commissioner said BPKS has completed nearly 20 years of service to disabled people including women and children in Bangladesh.

Since its inception, various BPKS initiatives changed lives of more than 40,000 disabled people in Bangladesh.

"I feel extremely pleased to be a part of BPKS's programme that coincides with the objectives that we intend to achieve through our programme", she said.

MDPOD Chairman Syeda Akhter Daizy presided over the function, addressed by, among others, BPKS' founder and Executive Director Abdus Sattar Dulal and Agriculture Extension Departments Deputy Director MA Baten.