Garment sector urged to embrace employees with disabilities

More differently-abled people should be employed in the country's growing garment industry, based on their abilities and not disabilities.

The clarion call has been given by as many as nine associations of physically challenged people, who met the top honchos of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and urged it to play a proactive role in this regard.

Representatives of the nine associations met with BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim Wednesday and urged him to encourage its member garment factories to employ more disabled people.

The representatives told Shahidullah that "around 10 per cent of the total population in the country are disabled to some extent and they are often treated as burden on families due to lack of employment opportunities".

Despite having the provision of a 5 per cent rebate on the total tax of a taxpayer if 10 per cent of the total workforce are disabled employees, the representatives said, many employers are unable to recruit physically challenged people.

The associations said "if the tax rebate rule is amended to 2 per cent of the workforce, it will pave the way for creating more employment opportunities for disabled people", according to a statement.

BGMEA Vice President agreed with their proposal of amendment to the tax rebate provision. "Many garment factories in Bangladesh are employing physically challenged people. We will request our members to recruit more people with disabilities in their factories."

Physically challenged people are also part of society and want to lead a dignified life by taking part in the mainstream of development activities, he added.

Bashir Al Hossain, programme manager at National Grassroots Disability Organisation; Nasrin Jahan, executive director of Disabled Child Foundation; Ashrafun Nahar Misti of Women with Disability Development Foundation; Nasima Akhter, President of National Council of Disabled Women; Monir Hossain of Disabled Child Foundation; Sushanto Das of National Grassroots Disability Organization; and Samira Haq of Women with Disability Development Foundation, were present at the meeting.