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Bangladesh: Ensure rights of persons with disabilities

Bangladesh Disability Welfare Act 2001 is not coherent with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), said the speakers at a conference yesterday.

They said as an international law cannot be enforced without including it in the national law, it is important to update the act.

The two-day conference titled 'Implementation of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' ended at the LGED auditorium in the city.

With the support of Wellesley Centres for Women, an US-based research centre, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) organised the conference with a view to creating an action plan and forming a platform to implement the CRPD.

Speaking at the concluding session, Dr Rangita deSilva-deAlwis, senior adviser of Wellesley Centres for Women, highlighted the importance of reforming all laws related to the welfare of persons with disabilities.

The conference focused on the need for updating all laws including 2001 disability welfare act to make them compatible with the new CRPD, and identifying the gaps in the legal system in relation to the rights of persons with disabilities.

It called for inclusion of persons with disabilities at the district level committees, a disability cell within every ministry and the formation of a disability rights committee.

The conference also stressed the need for making educational institutions more friendly for the people with disabilities, and a code of conduct for their treatment.

It also called for ensuring the participation of women with disabilities in the process of making laws against domestic violence.

With Jahangir Alam, secretary general of NADPO, in the chair, the conference was also attended by Advocate Salma Ali, executive director of BNWLA, Hedayetullah Al Mamoon, additional secretary to social welfare ministry, Adv Fawzia Karim Firoze, DG of social services department, and Salma Khan, president of Women for Women.

Additional Information

Country: Bangladesh
Website: http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=72558
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When: 09/2/2009

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