Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013 Bangladesh (RPPD)

Why was this law enacted?

To uphold equal rights, human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and social justice for persons with disabilities, the Government of Bangladesh enacted the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013 on 9 October, 2013. The Act contains 44 sections and 16 schedules.

Key Provisions of the Act

Definition of Disability (Section 2, Clause 9):
“Disability” means the long-term or permanent physical, mental, intellectual, developmental or sensation impairment or hardship of any person due to any cause and the mutual effect of attitudes and environmental barriers on that person, due to which that person is impeded in full and effective participation in the society on the basis of equality.

Types of Disabilities Recognized (Section 3):
The Act recognizes 11 categories of disabilities, along with other forms:

(a) Autism or autism spectrum disorders;

(b) Physical disability;

(c) Mental illness leading to disability;

(d) Visual disability;

(e) Speech disability;

(f) Intellectual disability;

(g) Hearing disability;

(h) Deaf-blindness;

(i) Cerebral palsy;

(j) Down syndrome;

(k) Multiple disability; and

(l) Other disability.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities (20 Rights under Section 16)

The Act guarantees 20 fundamental rights, including:

(a) Right to survive and develop to the fullest;

(b) Equal recognition before the law and access to justice in all cases;

(c) Right of inheritance;

(d) Freedom of expression, opinion and access to information;

(e) Right to live with parents, lawful or legal guardians, children or families in a society, to establish marital relations and to form family;

(f) Accessibility;

(g) Full and effective participation in social, economic and state affairs, according to the type of disability;

(h) Participation in integrated or unified education at all levels of education, subject to access to appropriate facilities in educational institutions; (i) employment in public and private organizations;

(j) Right to remain in service of a person who is subject to victim of disability during the course of employment, otherwise, entitled to appropriate rehabilitation or compensation;

(k) Protection from oppression and to have a safe and healthy environment;

(l) To receive the highest quality health care, subject to availability;

(m) To have „reasonable accommodation‟ in all relevant fields, including education and the workplace;

(n) Access to support services and rehabilitation facilities with a view to fully integrating in all spheres of social life by acquiring physical, mental and technical capacity;

(o) Provision of best possible safe accommodation and rehabilitation to a person with disability dependent on parents or family if he is separated from his parents or family, or does not have adequate accommodation and maintenance;

(p) Participation in culture, recreation, tourism, leisure and sports activities;

(q) To adopt, as far as possible, the Bangla sign language as the first language, according to the will of the person with hearing and speech disability;

(r) Confidentiality of personal information;

Committees under the Act (Sections 17–25)

The Act establishes five key committees to oversee implementation:

• National Coordination Committee
• National Executive Committee
• District Committee
• Upazila Committee
• City Committee

According to Section 28, these committees may form sub-committees as required.

Additional Measures by the Government

The Act emphasizes several practical steps to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities, including:

• Issuance of registration and identity card of the persons with disabilities. (Section 31)
• Reservation of seats in public transport (Section 32)
• Remedy for discrimination in admission of persons with disabilities in educational institutions (Section 33)
• Ensuring the accessibility of persons with disabilities in public establishments (Section 34)
• Not being employed due to disability (Section 35)
• Prohibition of discrimination and providing compensation (Section 36)
• Offence and penalty (Section 37)
• Filing of complaint, cognizance of offences etc. (Section 38)
• Application of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Section 39)
• Offences committed by companies (Section 40)

Schedules (16 Areas of Focus)

The Act includes 16 schedules that outline key areas of action:

1. Detection
2. Assessment & Planning:
3. Health Services
4. Language and communication
5. Accessibility
6. Sharing Information and Information & Communication Technology
7. Mobility
8. Habilitation and Rehabilitation
9. Education and training
10. Employment
11. Social security
12. Freedom from Violence, Access to Justice and Legal Aid
13. Natural Disaster, Risk and Humanitarian Emergencies
14. Sports, cultural activities and recreation
15. Awareness
16. Organization