‘Voting access for citizens with disabilities overlooked’

As in previous elections, the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election is set to be held without extending voting rights to the country's hundreds of citizens with various disabilities, raising concerns about inclusiveness.

The Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN) revealed the findings at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Tuesday.

The platform made the claim after visiting 28 polling centres in Dhaka, Dinajpur, Faridpur, and Meherpur during the last week of January and the first week of February.

Mahfuzur Rahman Raqeev, coordinator of B-SCAN, said since schools are often used as polling stations, many older buildings were not designed to accommodate people with disabilities. Even under-construction or renovated buildings have largely overlooked their needs.

"I identified problems such as the lack of ramps or convenient access, easy entry to polling centres, and sign language support for voters with speech impairments. Rules like restrictions on transportation at polling centres also create barriers, not only for people with mobility difficulties but also for elderly voters and those with health issues." he added.

B-SCAn Executive Director Salma Mahbub said though the country has about 3.3 million voters with disabilities, EC has not issued any specific guidelines or information for them.

smunima@yahoo.com