The government is preparing a coordinated framework involving multiple ministries to ensure long-term care, rehabilitation and accessible services for persons with disabilities, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhit said on Thursday.
Speaking after a follow-up meeting of the committee on ensuring rights and services for persons with disabilities at the ministry, he said the initiative aims to deliver structured and continuous support for every individual in need.
“A separate file will be opened for each person with a disability. Their needs will be recorded so that long-term rehabilitation, employment and other rights can be ensured through relevant ministries,” he said.
Muhit said various ministries are working together to make infrastructure, transport and public services more disability-friendly. He added that accessibility features are being incorporated into government facilities, schools and healthcare centres.
According to him, ramps, lifts and at least one accessible toilet will be made mandatory in 500 upcoming upazila health complexes, union health centres and educational institutions.
All development projects, he said, will be assessed to ensure compliance with disability inclusion standards.
The minister also said the government’s planned electric bus (EV) services in major cities, including Dhaka, will be designed to allow easy access for wheelchair users.
He further said a pilot programme titled “Shishu Swarg” has already been introduced at Karail slum in Dhaka, providing healthcare services to nearly 1,000 children with disabilities.
The initiative will be expanded to 20-25 upazilas in the current fiscal year, focusing on early detection, referral and treatment.
“We are building a system where each child with special needs is identified early and brought under a structured support mechanism involving different ministries,” he said.
Muhit also said special training will be arranged for teachers to support inclusive education and help reintegrate children with disabilities into mainstream schooling.
He added that athletes with disabilities who have brought laurels for Bangladesh in international events such as the Special Olympics and Paralympics have been awarded Tk1 lakh each, with similar recognition to continue in the future.
State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin Pitu said ensuring rights for persons with disabilities is a matter of rights, not charity.
“We are working to establish a one-stop service centre where health care, education, rehabilitation and livelihood support will be available under one platform,” she said.
She added that the government is also working on a unified system to integrate rehabilitation, training and income-generating opportunities for persons with disabilities.
