Enact treaty, amend copyright rules

Speakers at a seminar yesterday thanked the government for the recent ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty. The treaty is said to be removing barriers to making published books accessible to people with visual and print impairments, by establishing a set of limitations and exceptions for traditional copyright law.

Through this treaty, an estimated 3,40,000 visually-impaired people (registered under the database of the Department of Social Services) in Bangladesh will now get access to approximately 8,00,000 books via World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)'s accessible book consortium.

They also urged the government to implement the treaty as soon as possible, by revising and amending the current copyright act, so that making these books in accessible formats (Braille or Daisy digital talking books) does not constitute copyright infringement.

The seminar, titled "Marrakesh Treaty Accession Celebration and Way Forward", was jointly organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and Visually Impaired People's Society (VIPS) at the capital's Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics auditorium.

Through the Marrakesh Treaty, an estimated 3,40,000 visually-impaired people (registered under the database of the Department of Social Services) in Bangladesh are now set to get access to approximately 8,00,000 books via World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)'s accessible book consortium.

The treaty was adopted on June 27, 2013, and entered into force on September 30, 2016. Bangladesh became the 116th nation in the world to sign the agreement on September 26 this year. It will come into force in the country on December 26.

Vashkar Bhattacharjee, national consultant (accessibility) at Aspire to Innovate (a2i), ICT Division, presented the keynote at the seminar.

He said the treaty will pave the way to attaining the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4) by 2030.

"There has been a revision in the current copyright act with special provisions for persons with visual and print impairments. We hope this amendment will pass in the next parliament session," said Bangladesh Copyright Office's former registrar Zafar Raja Chowdhury.

MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said, "We have to work further to implement the treaty and prepare an action plan to determine the way forward. Only then the ratification will be successful."

Shaheen Anam also highlighted the need for accessible structures (government buildings) and public transportation (buses) to ensure the constitutional right of equal opportunity for all citizens.

Academician Muhammed Zafar Iqbal also attended the programme and highlighted the enormous capability of persons with disabilities. He also urged the government to create required work opportunities for them.

State Minister of Cultural Affairs KM Khalid attended the event as chief guest and said his ministry has already established 1,000 Mujib Corner libraries around the country, where they have already kept a dedicated corner for Braille books.

He also assured that if people with visual impairments reach his ministry with any demand, he will look into it.

Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury, founding president of VIPS; Nazrana Yeasmin, coordinator, MJF; Saidul Huq, executive director, Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organisation; Adv Mosharrof Hossain Mazumder, founding general secretary, VIPS; and Nazmul Haider, senior programme manager, Young Power in Social Action, spoke at the event among others, moderated by Mohammad Jahangir Alam, VIPS general secretary.