Editorial
Inadequate law on the disabled
It needs updating to international standards
The way a state treats its retarded people is a measure of the maturity and sophistication it has attained. Meeting the basic needs of the retarded should have nothing to do with being an affluent country or a poor one. The approach to the retarded is essentially a matter of attitude, ethics and culture. Even in developing countries, with resource constraints, the mentally and physically handicapped children can be taken care of by private and public sectors joining hands. There is scope to garner endowment funds for them. By imparting special skills many of them can be turned into reasonably productive citizens.
The apathy of successive governments towards the retarded can be gauged by the absence of any census on them. It is also glaringly exposed when social welfare secretary and vice president of the National Coordination Committee laments: 'Earlier, the government officials won't even bother to attend meetings of the national coordination committee.' What a pity!
There is a law called 'Bangladesh Disability Welfare Act, 2001' but no rules to implement the it. So, for the last six years, the law has been literally on paper only. In the first place, the law is ambiguous in its definition of the disabled and does not specify the needs and rights of the disabled people. Only one ministry is assigned to look after them whereas their access to special treatment and training facilities, rehabilitation and employment attracts the responsibility of the ministries of education and labour. The draft rules are available and should be finalised in consultation with NGOs working in the field.
It is appalling that only 9000 of supposedly 80lakh retarded persons, as estimated by some NGOs, have got any educational opportunity.
With the strengthening of the local government system, the task could be assigned to it with an adequate budget to finance relevant projects.
We must never forget that as citizens of the state they are entitled to equal rights as any other of their compatriots.
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