RANGPUR, Sept 27, 2021 (BSS) - Leaders of different organisations working

for welfare of disabled people at a discussion have stressed on engaging both
government-NGOs efforts to ensure development of the physically challenged
people.

  'Rangpur Badhir Sangha (RBS)' organised the discussion with assistance of
Bangladesh National Federation of the Deaf, on Town Hall premises. They also
brought out a rally on the city streets on Sunday afternoon.

   The programmes were arranged in observance of the International Week of
Deaf People-2021 and International Day of Sign Languages-2021 with the themes
'Celebrating Thriving Deaf Communities' and 'We Sign for Human Rights'
respectively.

  A limited number of physically challenged, hearing impaired and
intellectually disabled people and civil society members participated in the
rally in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

   Chief Adviser of RBS and freedom fighter Akbor Hossain addressed the
discussion as the chief guest with President of the organisation Advocate
Zobaydul Islam in the chair.

   General Secretary of RBS Mizanur Rahman and former Vice-president of
Rangpur Carmichael College Students' Union Alauddin Mian spoke as special
guests.

   The speakers said the deaf and vision impaired people are being exploited
in various ways in society.

   They said the government and society should work together to ensure
congenial atmosphere for the deaf and vision impaired people to properly
utilise their talents and abilities.

  Advocate Islam said the education, academic training and extracurricular
activities being conducted by some NGOs for the physically challenged,
disabled, deaf and dumb and vision impaired population are still inadequate.

   He urged the government for expanding its ongoing programmes to ensure
education, training and health services for the physically challenged, deaf
and dumb and vision impaired population.

   The chief guest put importance on mainstreaming the people with different
types of disabilities to attain the sustainable development goals by 2030
leaving none behind.

   "Engaging comprehensive GO-NGO efforts has become crucial to support the
physically challenged people to turn them into human resources for ensuring
their development, constitutional rights and social security.