People with disabilities stage demos in Shahbagh, demand special quota, monthly allowance increase
People with disabilities from different districts staged a demonstration at Shahabagh to press home their 11-point demand including special quota in government service and an increase in monthly allowance.
They gathered at Shahbagh at 9am under the banner of “Sangkhubdho Protibondhi Nagorik Samaj”.
Iftekhar Masud, one of the members of the organisation, said, “The budget placed on 1 June did have any guideline that can meet the needs and desires of disabled people.”
“To address this, we wanted to march towards the National Parliament today with our 11-point demands but the police obstructed us.”
Demanding an increase in their allowance, he said “In 2005, the allowance programme started with Tk200. Now we are getting Tk850 which is not enough for us.”
Their demands include raising monthly allowance to TK5000, providing stipends of TK2000, a quota for them in govt job recruitment, setting up an entrepreneur fund of TK 1000 crores for disabled entrepreneurs, setting up Directorate of Development of Persons with Disabilities immediately, establishing Bengali Sign Language institutes and schools, ensuring free Bangla Sign Language interpreting services in all service institutions including courts.
