Acting Speaker commits to establish disability rights caucus in Parliament

Acting Speaker of Parliament Barrister Kayser Kamal has expressed willingness to establish a parliamentary caucus for persons with disabilities in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.

He made the commitment when a delegation from Sightsavers’ Equal Bangladesh Campaign, comprising persons with disabilities, disability rights activists, representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities and development partners, paid a courtesy visit to him on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the delegation stressed the need for a parliamentary caucus to enable MPs to jointly promote disability rights and inclusion in legislation, policymaking and budgetary processes.

The campaigners urged the acting speaker to take the initiative to establish the caucus and encourage lawmakers from different political parties to raise disability rights issues in Parliament.

The delegation said that despite progress in disability-inclusive legislation and policy frameworks, persons with disabilities continue to face barriers to education, employment, healthcare, social protection, justice, political participation and accessible public services.

A parliamentary caucus could play an important role in ensuring sustained oversight, greater accountability and stronger implementation of commitments relating to disability rights, they said.

The delegation included Md Saidul Huq, Independence Award 2026 recipient and executive director of BERDO; Amrita Rejina Rozario, country director of Sightsavers Bangladesh; Nasima Akter, chair of the Equal Bangladesh steering committee; Khandaker Jahurul Alam, executive director of the Centre for Services and Information on Disability; Ayon Debnath, campaign adviser at Sightsavers; Morjina Ahmed, executive director of Disabled Welfare Society; Asim Dio, advocacy and networking specialist at UNDP; Kabery Sultana Jyoti, chairperson of Manikganj MDPOD; and Bashir Al-Hossain, programme manager at NGDO.