Multinational companies commit to build disability inclusive workforce in Bangladesh

An agreement was signed between Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) and Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) on Thursday to outline mutually benefiting activities focused on disability inclusion amongst multinationals.

Rupali Haque Chowdhury, President, FICCI and Managing Director, Berger and Murteza Rafi Khan, CEO of BBDN signed a Memorendum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of their respective organisations in this regard, said a press release.

The core purpose of this collaboration is to increase the number of FICCI members which are actively becoming disability inclusive organisations by building their institutional disability confidence.

To this end, FICCI being the national apex body of the foreign investors can play a key role to expedite policy influencing with its members, the broader business community and the government, while facilitating a window of opportunity in employment creation and setting standards in provisioning an appropriate work environment for people with disabilities.

Skills building activities for persons with disabilities and recruiting skilled candidates with disabilities through apprenticeships, internships and jobs is also within the scope of the collaboration.

Salahuddin Kasem Khan, Chairman of BBDN, welcomed the positive consideration of FICCI to collaborate and emphasised the importance of all its multinational members to actively work on disability inclusion, which is aligned with the SDG goal of inclusive growth by "leaving no one behind".

Rupali Chowdhury reiterated the commitment of FICCI to collaborate effectively with BBDN by undertaking practical action, in an effort to change the existing scenario of disability inclusion in the labour market, in alignment with the diversity and inclusion mandates of their members and meeting the skills and employment needs of people with disabilities in Bangladesh.

MHM Fairoz, Vice President of FICCI and Managing Director of Singer, Naser Ezaz, Board Member of FICCI and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Nurul Kabir, Executive Director of FICCI, Aziza Ahmed, Head of Operations of BBDN and Rusafa Khan, (Executive of Communication and PR) of FICCI were also present at the signing ceremony.