Persons with disabilities seek bigger budgetary support

Persons with disabilities have demanded special allocations in the upcoming national budget, along with financial and institutional reforms to ensure the protection of their basic rights, in line with the election manifesto of the BNP government.
The demands were placed at a press conference organised by the Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN) under the "Somotar Bangladesh" campaign of Sightsavers at the National Press Club in the capital on Thursday.
B-SCAN Executive Director Salma Mahbub spoke at the event, while Director Iftekhar Mahmud read out the written statement.
Representatives from disability rights organisations and parent groups from across the country also attended the programme. Among them were Masud Anwar Khan Miraz, vice-president of VIPS; Ujjala Banik, president of SPUS; Zakir Hossain, executive director of DDP; Hanif Mia, publicity secretary of JPKS; and Liaquat Ali, president of APPUS.
The speakers called for increasing the monthly disability allowance to a minimum of Tk 2,500 and stipends to Tk 2,000. They also demanded provisions allowing students with disabilities to receive both benefits simultaneously.
They further proposed the creation of a Tk 10 billion entrepreneurship fund with loans at a 4.0 per cent interest rate to support self-employment among persons with disabilities.
Other demands included unemployment insurance, reservation of at least 5.0 per cent jobs in commercial establishments with over 200 employees, and tax-free income thresholds along with tax rebates.
Salma Mahbub also urged immediate budgetary allocation for accessible public infrastructure and duty exemptions on bus imports to improve accessibility in public transport.
She said the demands were based on constitutional rights and citizens' entitlements.
smunima@yahoo.com