The UN Convention on PWD was adopted at the 61st session of the General Assembly.

The convention was opened for signing and ratification by UN member countries from March 30 last.

Although a total of 81 countries including the EU signed the convention on the very first day, Bangladesh took the decision to sign and ratify it at a meeting of the Council of Advisers on April 28.

At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) yesterday, Chairperson of National Forum of Organisation Working with the Disabled (NFOWD) Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury said the decision followed a meeting between the Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed and a 12-member delegation of NFOWD on April 25.

Appreciating the decision, he urged the authorities concerned to take immediate initiatives for completing the ratification process of the convention.

In a written statement, Monsur said Jamaica is the first country to ratify the convention. Nineteen more ratifications are required for the convention to come into force, he added.

The 50-article convention highlights the inequality and indiscrimination in order to mainstreaming PWD in education, employment, health, sports including social and political activities.

Speaking on the occasion AHM Noman Khan said that the government had been treating the persons with special needs from the viewpoint of social welfare over these days.

But from the date of signing and ratifying the convention, the government will be accountable to the UN for the development of the condition of PWD, he added.

Action on Disability and Development Country Representative Mosharraf Hossain said the initiative will promote civic, social and economic rights of 1.40 crore people with disability in the country.

Besides, the decision to ratify the convention as the second country will raise the status of Bangladesh before the international body, he observed.

Mosharraf suggested the inclusion of disability issue in the recently proposed human rights commission to accelerate the implementation process of the convention.

Talking to The Daily Star, Monsur Ahmed said in order to endorse the implementation process of the convention, a national level body titled 'Disability Rights Watch Group' will be formed comprising adviser of caretaker government, government official, lawyer, human rights activists and media personality. It will be led by NFOWD.

The watch group will start its operation as soon as the government sign and ratify the convention, he added.

The watch group will prepare reports addressing the condition of PWDs' education and employment including disadvantaged disabled women across the country and press the government to take initiatives for the development of their condition, he added.