USAID – Disability Bangladesh

March 2, 2019

Legal Aid Camp in Rangpur

On March 1, 2019, Prottasha Protibandhi Nari O Shishu Unnyan (Prottasha) organized a legal aid camp with support from BlueLaw International, LLP and Bangladesh Legal Aid Service Trust's (BLAST) Rangpur Unit to link prospective justice-seekers with disabilities with legal aid providers. Approximately 150 persons with disabilities attended the daylong camp to learn about their rights under the Disabled Persons' Rights & Protection Act, 2013 and how to present claims under Sections 36 and 37 of the Act. Ten persons with disabilities received individual legal advice at no cost, and 2 are preparing to present claims. Prottasha, a women with disabilities-run disabled people's organization (DPO), is one of seven DPOs throughout Bangladesh to receive small grant awards from BlueLaw International, as part of USAID’s Expanding Participation of People with Disability program, to mobilize diverse stakeholders in Rangpur to promote effective implementation of the Disabled Persons' Rights & Protection Act. All small grantees receive technical support from BlueLaw's national-level partners, the National Grassroots Disabilities Organization (NGDO), National Council of Disabled Women (NCDW), and BLAST.

Photo caption: A woman with disability in Rangpur registers to receive free legal aid in order to seek redress for a violation of the Disabled Persons' Rights & Protection Act, 2013.

October 18, 2018

First Small Grantees Conference

From October 14 to 16, 2018, as part of USAID’s Expanding Participation of People with Disability program, BlueLaw International, LLP and its partners organized the first of two conferences for the 7 disabled people's organizations (DPOs) from 7 districts selected through a competitive application process. At the conference, BlueLaw oriented small grantees on their small grant award requirements, distributed copies in traditional and accessible formats of the DPO Advocacy Handbook and Lawyers Technical Manual, and workshopped their advocacy proposals to promote implementation of Bangladesh’s Disabled Persons Rights and Protection Act, 2013 at the district level. Over the three days, the small grantees also interacted with prominent Bangladeshi disability rights leaders, including Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury, Vashkar Bhattarcharjee, Nazma Ara Begum Popy, and Nasrin Jahan.

Photo Caption: Participants at the first small grantees conference gather underneath the program banner for a final group photo.

October 15, 2018

Book Launching Ceremony

On October 14, 2018, as part of USAID’s Expanding Participation of People with Disability program, BlueLaw International, LLP and its partners Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), the National Grassroots Disability Organization (NGDO), and the National Council of Disabled Women (NCDW), organized a book launching ceremony in Dhaka to disseminate copies in traditional and accessible formats of the DPO Advocacy Handbook and Lawyers Technical Manual. These one-of-a-kind resources introduce disabled people's organizations (DPOs) and members of the legal community to Bangladesh's Disabled Persons Rights and Protection Act, 2013 and provides practice pointers for effective legal advocacy strategies.

Photo Caption: Launching ceremony guests stand, holding print copies of both the DPO Advocacy Handbook and Lawyers Technical Manual. From L to R, Hezzy Smith, Md. Jafrul Hasan, Justice Naima Haider, Justice Md. Nizamul Huq, Meghna Guhathakurta, Vashkar Bhattacharjee, and M. Osman Khaled.

May 12, 2018

Training for DPOs on the Disabled Persons Rights and Protection Act, 2013

From May 9 to 11, 2018, as part of USAID’s Expanding Participation of People with Disability program, BlueLaw International, LLP, in partnership with Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), the National Grassroots Disabilities Organization (NGDO), and the National Council of Disabled Women (NCDW), organized a capacity-building training for 12 disabled peoples' organizations (DPOs) from 8 districts. The three-day training educated participants about the rights and remedies recognized under the Disabled Persons Rights and Protection Act, 2013 and also gave them technical assistance for developing and implementing high-quality legal advocacy proposals in their respective districts.

Photo Caption: Training participants role play how DPOs should conduct intake when receiving a complaint of a rights violation under the Disabled Persons Rights and Protection Act, 2013.