Development experts, government officials, and civil society leaders have urged Bangladesh to place young people with disabilities and youths affected by leprosy at the heart of its rural development agenda, stressing that these groups remain among the most marginalized despite strong national laws and global commitments.
The call came at a high-level roundtable titled “Scope and Opportunities for Young People with Disabilities and Youths Affected by Leprosy in Rural Development”, organized by the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) in association with the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (Cirdap), with support from Liliane Fonds on Tuesday morning. Dhaka Tribune was the media partner for the event.
The event also included the signing of an MoU between CDD and Cirdap to advance disability-inclusive development across Bangladesh and the Asia-Pacific region. Director General of Cirdap, Dr P Chandra Shekara, graced the event as the chief guest.
Nazmul Bari, executive director of CDD, delivered the welcome speech and highlighted the importance of meaningful engagement of people with disabilities for a truly inclusive rural development. Alodia Santor, programme manager of Liliane Fonds, informed of their plan to initiate Community-Based Rehabilitation Centres of Excellence in 2026, including the one in Asia.
Presenting the keynote, Rakhi Barua, senior coordinator at CDD and a Cirdap expert, highlighted that 12.6 million people in Bangladesh live with disabilities, the majority in rural areas where poverty is higher and services remain scarce. Citing national and global datasets, she noted rural poverty stands at 24.57% compared to 20.43% in urban areas, with youth facing particularly steep barriers.
Bangladesh’s NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) rate—41%, or 12.9 million youth—is disproportionately high among young people with disabilities, she added. Rakhi Barua proposed a comprehensive roadmap that includes strengthening youth leadership and youth agencies, educating youths on social and emotional skills, providing mental health support, TVET access, more linkage with government livelihood programs in rural areas, and early detection and rehabilitation.
Faruk Ahmed Joardder, joint director at Bangladesh Rural Development Board, drawing from personal and professional experience, urged ministries beyond Social Welfare to integrate disability into their project designs and proposed a display corner at BRDB to showcase products made by youth with disabilities.
Dr Md Ziaur Rashid, program director (Palli Pragati), BRDB, emphasized that despite progressive legislation, persons with disabilities remain highly vulnerable, particularly during crises. He called for deeper government-NGO–NGO collaboration and highlighted the Jica-supported Link Model as a scalable framework for local service delivery.
Manika Khama Mitra, assistant director at the National Institute of Local Government (NILG), NILG committed to strengthening disability inclusion in its upcoming post-election training.
Shahidul Islam Sazzad, executive director of DDRC, highlighted substantial service gaps, noting a DDRC survey in Chittagong where 65 eligible young people had not received disability allowances due to low public awareness.
Akira Munakata, senior adviser, Jica, highlighted the work of Jica in Bangladesh, especially on strengthening local governance. He remarked that further exploration can be made for addressing the specific needs of persons with disabilities, including the youth in Bangladesh.
Director General of Cirdap Dr P Chandra Shekara emphasized that disability inclusion must extend beyond a single ministry and become embedded across all sectors. He urged the creation of a unified, 360-degree strategy combining awareness-building, skills development, livelihoods, and market linkages. The recent UN declaration of 6 July as World Rural Development Day, he said, offers a timely platform to advance disability-inclusive development globally.
Participants—including youth representatives, a leprosy mission worker, NGO leaders, and development practitioners—unanimously stressed that inclusion of young people with disabilities and youths affected by leprosy is essential for a just, equitable, and sustainable future. With the right support systems, they said, these young individuals can become innovators, leaders, and agents of transformation in rural Bangladesh.
The CDD–Cirdap MoU is expected to strengthen collaborations, enhance data systems, and mainstream disability inclusion within rural development in Bangladesh and across the Asia-Pacific region.
