Dhaka, Bangladesh — A historic move by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) promises a better future for children with autism spectrum disorder in the country.
The BGMEA announced last week through the efforts of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister’s daughter, Saima Wazed Hossein Putul — who happens to be a licensed school psychologist in the U.S. — that the association will be hiring workers with autism in the soonest possible time.
Ms. Putul, who is also the president of the Chairperson of the National Committee on Autism and Neurodevelopment Disorders, is spearheading numerous disability campaigns in the country.
The BGMEA made the announcement at an intimate gathering held last Thursday where garment factory owners, government officials, as well as parents of children with autism spectrum disorder were in attendance.
President Md Atiqul Islam stressed, however, that the move by BGMEA is not a charity. He told:
“We’ll give them work, they’ll give return. This is not charity… Let’s start working together.”
Bangladesh, like most countries, still doesn’t have an official statistics on the number of its citizens affected by autism. But for Ms. Putul, this is not as important as focusing on the things they can do to make sure that the children with developmental disabilities in the country have something to look forward to when they’re no longer in school.
As she spoke to the factory owners who were in attendance in the event, Ms. Putul highlighted the abilities that individuals with autism spectrum disorder possess. She told:
“It’s not charity. They are honest, cannot lie. They are perfect. They are focused. They’ll do what they can. They can do non-stop similar work that other workers will not do. They follow routine strictly.”
BGMEA also said that the parents of the children with autism play a vital role as they will be responsible for the early training that the children need to prepare for the job of their choosing.
Clothing and garments is the largest export sector of Bangladesh, with over four million workers currently in employment.
Source: bdnews24.com BGMEA promises to employ people with autism