The boy is missing, he was seen behaving differently outside a shopping complex in Mouchak area. Someone posted a video on Facebook. There is no way to understand his face in the dust. The video went viral. The next day, Jhumna Mallick Jhumi and her team went to look for him. She doesn’t know his name, he doesn’t speak. Then he was named Nayan. Since his disappearance and finding him, special guardians across the country have responded that what will happen to these special children when there are no guardians? The seeds of what will happen have started to grow. The result is today’s guardian conference.

The Parents of Children and Persons with Special Needs Conference ’25 was held at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Saturday, January 18, 2025. The chief guest was Fazle Siddique Md. Yahia, Director (Planning, Development, Information Technology) and Deputy Secretary, National Disability Development Foundation, Ministry of Social Welfare, and the special guest was SM Toufiq Abir, Assistant Professor SCPHS, Faculty of Medicine, Dhaka University.

Jhumna Mallik Jhumi, founder and president of Bangladesh Society for Parents of the Differently Able, presided over the event. Dr. Irene Binte Azad delivered the welcome address, while Marufa Zaman also spoke.

About 40 parents of children with special needs from all over the country participated in this parent conference. Many from outside the country and outside Dhaka sent videos to share their plans and expressed their thoughts and concerns.

In her speech as the president, Jhumna Mallick said, “One eye has united us all. Children up to the age of 14 are only taken under the Ministry of Social Welfare, so what will happen to our older children? The government must take full responsibility for the lives of all special children. Today, we are making a strong demand to the state to demand the rights of our children. We must increase the allowance of our children, provide all kinds of basic rights including medical facilities.”

He further said, a separate ministry for the country’s disabled children is very important. When we go for any work, we have to go door to door. In our absence, what will happen to our children when we are no longer in this world? Services for children with special needs must be ensured at the district and upazila levels of the country. Safe homes must be arranged at the government level with their education, therapy, treatment, safe housing and work facilities.

Guardian Marufa Zaman said that textbooks should provide clear descriptions of each disability, and not everyone should be identified as having autism.

Special guest SM Toufiq Abir said that the points given by the guardians are correct. However, he questioned the activities of Subarn Bhaban, Mirpur No. 14. He emphasized on taking an effective role of Subarn Bhaban with quality professionals. He emphasized on the research cell. Mr. Toufiq Abir emphasized on introducing special education courses in all public universities of the country.

Chief guest Fazle Siddique Md. Yahia said in his speech that it is very important to have a Ministry for the Disabled. Many ministries need to be merged. He agreed with everyone after listening to everyone’s statements at the conference. He said that he would work for it after realizing the need for a hybrid safe home.

He said, the global disability rate is said to be 10%, so our disabled population will be 3.4 million or more. We need a survey. We need an assessment tool for 12 categories of disability. He mentioned the need to move forward while maintaining the unity of the parents.

Guests were honored at the event by presenting flowers and crests.