Education for Blind Children of Bangladesh

The result of year ending Annual examination of 2020 was published. Students of BERDO School have studied properly in the past year. They seemed happy for their excellent result. They are provided motivation and encouragement to do well in coming New Year.   

On 14-01-2020, annual picnic for 2020 was organized for blind school students of BERDO at Jamuna resorts near famous Jamuna Bridge at Kalihati sub-district of Tangail district. The Jamuna Resorts has been a traveler’s choice for long time particularly after inauguration of much talked Jamuna Bridge.  Each and every day a large number of travelers visit this unique resort to speed their leisure. They is why BERDO blind School Students came up with a choice to visit this interesting spot which is located at scenic Jamuna river, the longest river of Bangladesh. This is a famous picnic spot that is situated at Tangail district which is close to Dhaka district.  At the picnic, students of Blind school participated in different sports activities and a colorful cultural programme.  Best performers were given prizes.

Students of BERDO blind School were found immensely joyous and cheerful while visiting this site.

21th February is a historical day for Bangladeshi people. This day is very special for people of Bangladesh. Bangla was and is the main language of entire Bangladeshi people, but the Pakistani ruler forced Bangladeshi people to accept Urdu, a language not known and spoken by Bangladeshi people, in 21th February 1952, students of Dhaka University and other Institutions raised their strong voice and protested against this decision and demonstrated massively in the streets. The Pakistan government ordered Police to fire openly to demonstrating students. As a result, 5 students died in the clash. Since then, 21 th February is celebrated with due solemnity and fervor to mark the day.

BERDO celebrated this day with due honor to martyrs who laid down their lives to protect mother’s language. A rally and a discussion meeting were held to make the day.  All students of BERDO blind school participated in the events spontaneously. They enjoyed the day cheerfully.   

COVIT-19 was first detected in Bangladesh on 8^th March, 2020. Later on, this virus spread across all regions gradually. Students go back to their respective homes after holiday declaration in school. Now there is panic about the unpredictable affect and consequence of COVIT-19 virus among mostly overpopulated Dhaka city dwellers.

BERDO celebrated its 25^th silver jubilee founding anniversary and 28^th International Day of Persons with Disabilities2019. In this auspicious day chief guest was Mr. M.A. Mannan, MP, hon’ble minister of ministry of planning while Mr. K.M Abdus Salam, Director General of NGOAB was attended as special guest. Besides, Mr. A.H.M. Noman Khan, Executive Director of Centre for Disability in Development (CDD),Mr. Engineer Kamrul Ahsan, Chairman of Ahsan group and Mr. Md. Ziarul Islam, representative from Standard Bank and Mr. Saidul Huq, Executive Director of BERDO were attended as honorable guests. The celebration event was presided over by Mr. Jahangir Alam, Chairperson of Executive Committee of BERDO. A significant numbers of NGO representatives which are working specially on disability sector, BERDO stakeholders and staff of its Head Office and branch offices, Teachers and students of BERDO executed Braille schools, Executive committee members, different local level elites, distinguished ladies and gentlemen and members of different electronic media also attended in the occasion.

The event was celebrated in two phases. In it phase included its colorful rally and 2^nd phase was performed with a cultural program.

Rally:

At the beginning of the day a colorful rally with the participation of students, local people and executive committee members was organized and which started from BERDO head office premises and went around the different roads of Rupnagar residential area and finished at BERDO head office. Rally tried to disseminate messages on disabilities rights and development issues profoundly through slogans, festoons and banner.

Discussion Session:

After completion of the rally chief guest and special guest along with all distinguished guests, participants were gathered in conference room of BERDO. Chief Guest and special guest were received by Executive Director of BERDO and accordingly took seating the dais. In dais they were received warmly by giving flower buckets. Executive Committee members and staff of BERDO handed over flowers to the guests.

The discussion session stared with recitation and conversion of Holy Quran by Mr. Md. Khairul Azam. Later on, a welcome address paid by Ms. Hosneara Begum, Vice Chairperson of executive board. She welcomed all distinguished guests especially honorable planning minister Mr. M.A. Mannan and Special Guest Mr. K.M. Abdus Salam, DG of NGOAB and others patrons and well-wishers of BERDO. She also extended thanks to all supporters, staffs, local elites and NGO and media representatives. She tried to explicit different development activities and which also included its some failures during discharging its course of activities in the field of development. One of the problems highlighted was necessary lack of space for its permanent infrastructure as enhancing remarkably its different activities nowadays. Secondly disable persons are depriving from jobs though they are facing competitive examinations in job markets. Thirdly, they are reaching out from getting capital supports for IGAs. Government and non-government IGA providers don’t choose to provide capital supports for disables as able people are frequently disqualifying in repaying loan amount regularly and eventually loan providing organizations are becoming un well position often. They are confusing about working with persons with disabilities, whether these organizations are capable enough to repay loan amount. In this bad situation BERDO somehow received loan from some organizations and in due course repaying loan amount successfully. She then concluded her speech through extending her thankfulness to the supporters of BERDO.

Mr. A.H.M Noman Khan, Executive Director of CDD addressed in the meeting and demanded to the honorable minister to planning for giving his special concentration for disability issues in 8^th5-year plan of government of Bangladesh.  He urged to increase budget for persons with disabilities with due importance.

Mr. Engineer Nurul Akhter from Energy Pack said that he is proved positively that persons with disabilities are capable enough to do work in this sector as like as other normal workforces. He already appointed some PWDs and he will also appoint some PWDs in his factory in future.

Engineer Mr. Khamrul Ahsan said that he has been working with BERDO for many years. He gave his opinion that BERDO is working very successfully in this arena through showing their accountability and transparency, which are very mandatory for a development organization. He said that he often tries to attend its programs regular basis. He then promised to be stayed with BERDO in future.

Later on, Adviser of BERDO Mr. Advocate Mosarraf Hossain Mojumder addressed in front of the gathering. He discussed about being problems with regard to disability sectors and at same time elaborated some way-out mechanisms very enthustically. He urged concentration of government in terms of disability rights and protection issues with due importance.

Mr. Md. Jiarul Islam, representative from Standard Bank Ltd. Informed the meeting that their Chairman supposed to come in this meeting and joined in the discussion session but due to a sudden important task he was unable to attend the meeting. But he said that he is always with BERDO and continue extend his hand for the help of BERDO.

Mr. Saidul Huq, ED of BERDO described the 25 years journey of BERDO from very early days to date in front guests and participants of the discussion session. He said that the journey was not bed of roses. It has been very tough to reach in position of BERDO deserves nowadays. In this long run evolving of the organization, a lot of friends, well-wishers, government agencies and private entrepreneurs extended their hands to have a well-established and proactive BERDO and its development targets. At the eve of celebrating its 28^th years founding anniversary he expressed his thanks and respect to all of supporters from his deep of hearts. He elaborated BERDO’s activities and achievements during this time frame.

He requested to the chief guest for extending hand further for constructing BERDO head office from 4^th level to 5^thlevels which will help to increase its activities in future. 

Note Paper Presentation

A note paper presented by Deputy Manager Ms. Firoza Khatun from Head office.

Presentation on Organizational Perspectives

A PowerPoint presentation on organizational profile presented in front of chief and special guests and audiences by Deputy Director Mr. Shahid Ullah. He accordingly presented evolution of organization, its mandate, registration from different government authority, its running and phased out projects in and outs, governing board and donors etc.

Address by Special Guest

Mr.K.M. Abdus Salam, Director General of NGOAB conveyed his greetings on the eve of celebrating Silver Jubilee founding anniversary of BERDO and 28^th International Day of Persons with Disabilities. He opined that present Prime minister is a woman with full of humanistic attitude as well as she has keen concentration on disability as prior issue. He pointed out that in her regime Rights of persons with disabilities protection rights 2013, Neuro Disabilities Act 2013 and Policy on special education for persons with disabilities 2019 were enacted successfully. He said that most big infrastructures of Bangladesh are not disability friendly. He urged to work together for making these structures disability friendly and also for future course of actions regarding the matter. He paid his interest to know problems of NGOs and showed his interest to solve all problems accordingly.

Address by Chief Guest

The chief guest and hon’ble minister of planning ministry conveyed his thanks to BERDO management and stakeholders for its silver jubilee founding anniversary. He said that at least 10% population of Bangladesh has been suffering from different disabilities. People of this country have become conscious about disability issues. The hon’ble prime minister is very much conscious about disability and its different development issues. Many people know that quota system of job in Bangladesh is withdrawn, so job quota for persons with disabilities are also withdrawn. But in this meeting minister assured that the quota for PWDs jobs are still existed. He urged to make all buildings should have accessibility of PWDs. So, need due concentration on accessibility in all newly build infrastructures, roads and even in vehicles, he stressed again. He suggested all development organization for working under positive competitive manners excluding their unhealthy competition in the professional arena. He said in the meeting that his ministry makes plan of activities but financial supports are giving by finance ministry.

Hon’ble minister of planning committed to help BERDO for establishing a Braille printing machine and also to extension of 4^th and 5^th levels of BERDO’s head office as earliest possible time. He will request to department of social welfare in this regard. Besides, he will generously try to be done more on disabilities issues in the Parliament.

Concluding of discussion session:

Thereafter concluding session started with the address by the BERDO chairperson Mr. Jahangir Alam as chair of the discussion session. He requested the chief guest to convey their demanded issues to the relevant government counterparts for taking necessary actions and remedial as soonest possible time. He accordingly elaborated different problems often faced by PWDs in their daily life. He then conveyed his voteof thanks to all especially for chief and special guest for attending in this occasion and inspiring all of stakeholders of BERDO. He extended his thanks to all guests and stakeholders of BERDOs for their presence and taking proactive participation in this celebration organized duly by BERDO.

Cultural Program

After lunch time a participatory and enjoyable cultural program which included with sharing their aspiring words from its staff and other well-wishers of BERDO started by the facilitation of Executive Director of BERDO Mr. Saidul Huq. All participants shared their experiences and thought regarding growing of BERDO and their feeling and initiatives to develop this organization proactively. Student of BERDO and staff and stakeholders participated with different inspiring songs, poem recitation etc. Program concluded at 5.00 PM.