National White Cane Safety Day will be observed today with the aim of ensuring rights of the visually impaired people.
The day will be observed with the theme 鈥楳odernisation of white cane, development of visually impaired people.
The social welfare ministry will hold a programme on the occasion.
Marking the day, Institute of Wellbeing Bangladesh, Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust and Disabled Welfare Society jointly organised a rally and sit-in on the Sat Masjid Road in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday.
The rights organisations demanded distribution of white canes among all visually impaired people, making all roads, public places and footpaths accessible for them, and creating employment opportunities for them.
A good number of visually impaired people participated in the event, demanding safe mobility and better facilities.
Gaous Pearee, director of the Work for Better Bangladesh Trust, called on citizens to assist the white cane users and urged the government to make all roads and footpaths, especially those in the capital Dhaka, safe and accessible.
He urged the government to make the roads and footpaths safe for not only the visually impaired people but also for all citizens.
Morjina Ahmed, executive director of the Disabled Welfare Society, said that safe transport was closely linked to employment.
鈥業f visually impaired persons cannot travel safely to their workplaces, how will they sustain employment? she questioned.
She also urged the government to ensure quality and durable canes and to create job opportunities for the visually impaired.
Iftekhar Hosen Sohel, president of the Disabled Welfare Society, said that National White Cane Safety Day should not be confined to a single day.
The organisers later distributed white canes among the visually impaired people at the event.