A national seminar on how media can help promote disability equality was held in Dhaka on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. The event was organized by Somosti, with support from the UNESCO Dhaka office at the Liberation War Museum.

People from different backgrounds joined the event: government officials, journalists, disability rights activists, teachers, students, members from civil society, and cultural figures. The seminar was part of an initiative called “Disability Equality in the Media.”

Dr. Susan Vize, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh, chaired the event. Renowned cultural personality Dilara Zaman attended as the Chief Guest. Special guests included Muhammad Hiruzzaman ndc, Additional Secretary and Director General of the National Institute of Mass Communication, and Hasan Hafiz, Editor of Kaler Kantho and President of the National Press Club.

One of the main parts of the event was a panel discussion titled “Disability Inclusion in the Media: Practices, Challenges, and the Way Forward.” Reaz Ahmad, Editor of Dhaka Tribune, moderated the session. Panel speakers were Md. Abdul Kadir, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Director of the ICBC Project; Professor Imran Hossain, Chair of the Department of Television, Film and Photography at Dhaka University; S. M. Manzur Rashid, Senior Advisor, Communications at UNDP-SPSS; and Vaskar Bhattacharjee, National Consultant at the a2i Project.

The welcome speech was given by Noore Jannat Proma, Head of Media Development and Access to Information at UNESCO Dhaka. Mir Masruruzzaman, Executive Director of Somosti, moderated the event.

In her speech, Dilara Zaman said she was deeply moved by the event. “The discussions opened my eyes,” she said. “I want to give my love and support to persons with disabilities around me. From now on, I will encourage my fellow actors, mothers I meet, and people around me to show kindness, even in small ways, to those living with disabilities.”

Dr. Susan Vize said that although there has been some progress in disability inclusion, there are still many barriers and unconscious bias. These challenges limit opportunities for persons with disabilities, especially in media and jobs. She said the media needs to stop showing persons with disabilities only as people to feel sorry for. Instead, it should show their skills, talents, and full human stories. She also called for inclusive hiring, expert databases with persons with disabilities, and strong government policies to turn inclusion into real action.

Hasan Hafiz said, “Media must show persons with disabilities with respect and also work to become more inclusive as an institution.”

Muhammad Hiruzzaman ndc added, “The government is committed to building a media sector that is friendly to persons with disabilities. The National Institute of Mass Communication is working on that.”

During the seminar, the Bengali version of UNESCO’s Practical Manual on Disability Equality in the Media was officially launched. Senior journalist Shahnaz Munni, who helped with the adaptation, also spoke during the launch.

As part of the event, eight university students received awards for winning an essay competition arranged to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2024. The competition focused on how to make newsrooms and media content more inclusive. The first-place winners were Md. Jariful Islam Jim from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (Bengali section) and Sumaiya Khanam from the Department of Botany, University of Dhaka (English section).

At the end of the event, a lively cultural performance was held by artists from B-SCAN. It included short drama, songs, dances, and recitation.