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Published : 15 Jun 2023, 01:16 PM
People with disabilities have gathered at Dhaka’s Shahbagh to press home a series of demands, which includes increasing the monthly disability allowance to Tk 5,000 from Tk 850 in the proposed budget for FY24.
The protesters, demonstrating under the banner of the Aggrieved Disabled Civil Society, occupied a road near the Bangladesh National Museum at 9:30 am on Thursday.
As part of a pre-announced programme, the protesters were supposed to march from Shahbagh towards the national parliament. However, they have been surrounded by the police since the morning.
Iftekhar Mahmud, a member of the society, said that the budget tabled on Jun 1 did not meet the expectations of disabled people. “That is why we wanted to march to the parliament with our 11-point demand. But the police have surrounded us. We do not know if we will be able to hold the march. That is why we are sitting here.”
Mahmud described the group's demands as "apolitical" and demanded immediate steps to uphold the rights of people with disabilities.
"We no longer want assurances, we want the implementation of our demands. Our voices can no longer be silenced.”
“For the past 30 years, we have conveyed our demands in written form to everyone from the president to the prime minister. We got three things in return. A 10 percent quota was promised but never implemented. Secondly, we were gifted the National Disabled Development Foundation, but are not getting any benefits from there. Thirdly, we received an allowance.”
In 2005, the allowance programme started with a monthly stipend of Tk 200, said Iftekhar. “Now, we are receiving Tk 850. This allowance is not enough for us. Although there were talks of gradually increasing this allowance, it has not been done.”
Iftekhar said that they were stopped by the police while marching towards the Prime Minister's Office with the same set of demands on Jun 4. “The police launched an attack and left 12 of us with injuries.”
"We will not let the blood of our brothers go in vain. We wanted an independent country to build a nation free from inequality. However, we have become victims of inequality in this independent country. We lack employment opportunities. We do not have jobs. We cannot tolerate this inhumane life anymore."
