PM urges corporate houses to recruit physically-challenged people

Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina said: "Please don't neglect the disabled people and autistic children. It is the responsibility of the state and every person of the society to ensure all facilities for the physically challenged and autistic people and children," report agencies. The Prime Minister gave the call while speaking as the chief guest at a function arranged to mark the 4th International Autism Awareness Day and the 13th National Day of Persons with Disability at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city Saturday. Social Welfare Minister Enamul Haq Mostafa Shahid presided over the function. Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Syed Mudasser Ali and Social Welfare Secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas addressed the function. This year's theme of the day is: 'Act for Autism Now'. Sheikh Hasina called upon people of all walks of life to be compassionate and helpful towards all physically and mentally challenged people and children of the society. She requested the parents not to show any negligence to their disabled or autistic child who, she said, need only an ideal environment to flourish their talents. "Even world famous scientists like Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton had also passed few years of their lives through autism. Physicist and Cosmologist Stephen William Hawking is himself physically challenged, but he is a professor of Cambridge University," she said. She said the government is setting up schools for physically challenged and autistic children in every district and is committed to appoint a specialised teacher in all general schools for such children. The Prime Minister reiterated her directive to the authorities of schools to ensure admission of disabled and autistic children into the educational institutions. In the new education policy, she said autistic and physically challenged children have been given much priority and the educational institutions have been asked to ensure all facilities for them. The Prime Minister said the government is going to set up a multi-purpose complex in the capital, which would be a centre of excellence for the physically challenged and autistic children and people. There would be one-stop centre, the centres of research, therapy, computer lab, and employment generation program in the complex, she added. She said the government would give extend all-out cooperation to send Bangladesh team to participate in the Athens Special Olympic to be held next June-July.