Equal Bangladesh helps establish landmark disability rights caucus

Bangladesh has moved closer to establishing a cross-party parliamentary caucus on disability rights, with members of parliament from across the political spectrum pledging their support as part of efforts to strengthen political leadership on disability inclusion.

At a high-level national consultation in Dhaka on 5 September, organised by Sightsavers’ Equal Bangladesh campaign and Democracy International, state minister for health and family welfare Dr MA Muhit MP was chosen unanimously to serve as convener of the proposed caucus. Selima Rahman MP, member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee, and Nurunnisa Siddiqua MP, secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami’s women’s wing, agreed to serve as co-conveners.

Organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs), disability rights advocates and development partners in Bangladesh have long called for stronger parliamentary leadership to advance the rights, dignity and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Through the Equal Bangladesh campaign, Sightsavers and its partners have built momentum around this vision by bringing together OPDs, disability activists, policymakers, development partners and political leaders to advance a shared agenda for disability rights.

Representatives from across the disability sector praised the Equal Bangladesh campaign for its leadership in advancing the caucus initiative and creating a platform where the voices of people with disabilities could directly influence political decision-making.

The consultation brought together 11 MPs from across the political spectrum alongside representatives of OPDs, people with disabilities, development partners, UN agencies, NGOs, INGOs, academia and the media. Participating parliamentarians voiced strong support for the initiative and pledged to work collectively to advance disability rights within parliament.

The caucus will champion disability-inclusive laws and policies, advocate for budget allocations, monitor implementation of disability rights commitments, facilitate dialogue between MPs and people with disabilities, and promote disability-inclusive development.

This progress follows the BNP party’s return to power after the 2026 national election held in February, as well as a meeting held in August between Equal Bangladesh campaign representatives and the country’s acting speaker, barrister Kayser Kamal MP, to discuss the establishment of a disability rights caucus.

In the coming months, the Equal Bangladesh campaign and its partners will work closely with the offices of the speaker and deputy speaker, members of parliament, OPDs and other stakeholders, to take the next steps towards formally establishing the caucus within parliament.