The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday said the opinion of the physically disadvantaged persons should be considered in the formulation of policy for the well being of the disabled and to save them during natural calamities.

They said a national level initiative with the leadership role of the disabled person should be taken bringing together groups looking after the disabled and the emergency management organisations.

Action on Disability and Development (ADD) organised the national dialogue on Disability Inclusive Disaster Management Programme at Brac Centre Inn in the city.

AHN Abdullah, Director, Planning and Training, Disaster Management Bureau, Mohammad Mobin, Assistant Country Director, Concern Worldwide, Alfred Osunsanya, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Shashanka Sadi, Team Leader, Humanitarian Response Team, UNDP, Shaila Rahman, Social Development Adviser, DFID, Akther Hossain, President, National Grassroots Disabled Organisation, Fazlul Wahab, Director, Cyclone Preparedness Programme, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, AHM Noman Khan, Executive Director, Centre for Disability in Development, among others, addressed the dialogue chaired by Country Director of ADD Mosharraf Hossain.

Nayeem Wahra of Disaster Forum moderated the function, while Hasan Shafie, teacher of Dhaka University presented research paper.

They said the organisations looking after the welfare of the disabled should encourage the local and national emergency managers to address the people with disabilities separately from other vulnerable groups.

Disaster management in Bangladesh has been praised, but looking after the disabled persons at the time of disaster has not been worth mentioning.

AHN Abdullah said the government was fully aware of the rights of the disabled in the country.

He said the Government would finalise the draft of the Disaster Management Act with views from all quarters.

The Government ratified the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Disabled Persons-2006 respecting their rights, he added.

Three per cent quota was reserved for the disabled in all the government's services excluding Public Service Commission.

The research paper recommended that staff and beneficiaries of disability organisations should implement systematic training and education.

An education and training curriculum should be developed around effective organisational disaster response and recovery plans for disability organisations across the country, it suggested.