Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, along with Sustainable Development Goals 10 and 16, clearly emphasize the inclusion of persons with disabilities in political processes and their unhindered participation in democratic practices. The Constitution of Bangladesh and all democratic movements in the country were founded on the vision of building a non-discriminatory state system. However, due to complex and time-consuming processes, the benefits of policy commitments often fail to reach persons with disabilities at the grassroots level in a timely manner. Moreover, political participation of persons with disabilities remains largely confined to voting rights alone, and even exercising the right to vote involves multiple barriers. This creates significant scope for constructive engagement by the government, political parties, civil society, and the international community. B-SCAN is implementing a project titled “Promoting Disability Inclusive Election Observation (PDIEO).” As part of this initiative, B-SCAN, the renowned Daily Newspaper Bonik Barta and EPD, European Union (EU) jointly organized a National Dialogue with the political leaders on Inclusive Election for Persons with Disabilities: Bangladesh Way Forward on 17 January 2026, at the Banik Barta Auditorium.
