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A new banking initiative has brought some respite for the worried parents of children with special needs who do not have the legal right to property in Bangladesh.
Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) has offered savings bank account facility for such thousands of children growing up amid taunts in society.
The first of its kind in Bangladesh, the initiative by the private bank, is being seen as long denied recognition of the persons with diverse neurological and intellectual capacity like autistic, Down Syndrome and epilepsy.
"It is not only a bank account for financial transaction, but also recognition of the people with special needs as persons with dignity," said Sajida Rahman Danny, President of Parents' Forum for the Differently Able, which persuaded the bank into taking the initiative.
She told bdnews24.com on Friday that a couple of days back the bank announced the special scheme styled 'MTB Care' which is similar to having a savings account.
It will allow special children of any age to open a bank account with the support of their parent or guardian.
"The scheme charges at a reduced rate for service and maintenance than it does for regular accounts with the bank," she said.
Though there is no statistics about the number of such children in Bangladesh, organisations working with them say they are hundreds of thousands.
Estimates suggest 8 per 1000 children are living with autism only.
Danny said parents of those children worry about the future of their wards since they do not have a legal right to inherit property.
"We know how much they (parents and their children) suffer," the President of the Forum also known as Parents Forum said.
For instance, she said, a mother was driven out by the in-laws with her 17-year-old autistic children when her husband died. "Her father-in-law said you would not get property since your child does not understand value of assets.
"She cannot go to the court as autistic children are not legally entitled to property."
Sometimes, even the father is reluctant to spend extra on his autistic child. "A mother came to us and said 'Please keep this whatever money I have for my kid and give him when I am no more in the world'."
"This bank account will now help them," Danny said, "It's a dual account." "Two signatories will run the account – one is the kid and the other is the parent. There is a provision to replace the second one, if the parent dies."
"We did it in a way so that the security of banking transaction is not compromised."
Danny said talks were underway to ensure more banking services like deposit pension scheme for the children with special needs.
She said the Mutual Trust Bank also extended financial support of Tk 0.5 million to the Parents Forum to carry out its activities.
The global conference on autism in Dhaka last year, that brought top politicians including ruling India Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, inspired parents with autistic children to unite under the Forum.
A developmental disorder, autism robs one's communication and behavioural skills. No one can say why it develops, but it appears within three years of age.
Experts say those children cannot pick up self-care tasks –dressing, self-feeding, using toilet and others –the by watching and imitating.
They do not make eye-to-eye contact and have single-track thought process, but they have hidden talents like paintings and music.
- The Latest News @2012
Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) has offered savings bank account facility for such thousands of children growing up amid taunts in society.
The first of its kind in Bangladesh, the initiative by the private bank, is being seen as long denied recognition of the persons with diverse neurological and intellectual capacity like autistic, Down Syndrome and epilepsy.
"It is not only a bank account for financial transaction, but also recognition of the people with special needs as persons with dignity," said Sajida Rahman Danny, President of Parents' Forum for the Differently Able, which persuaded the bank into taking the initiative.
She told bdnews24.com on Friday that a couple of days back the bank announced the special scheme styled 'MTB Care' which is similar to having a savings account.
It will allow special children of any age to open a bank account with the support of their parent or guardian.
"The scheme charges at a reduced rate for service and maintenance than it does for regular accounts with the bank," she said.
Though there is no statistics about the number of such children in Bangladesh, organisations working with them say they are hundreds of thousands.
Estimates suggest 8 per 1000 children are living with autism only.
Danny said parents of those children worry about the future of their wards since they do not have a legal right to inherit property.
"We know how much they (parents and their children) suffer," the President of the Forum also known as Parents Forum said.
For instance, she said, a mother was driven out by the in-laws with her 17-year-old autistic children when her husband died. "Her father-in-law said you would not get property since your child does not understand value of assets.
"She cannot go to the court as autistic children are not legally entitled to property."
Sometimes, even the father is reluctant to spend extra on his autistic child. "A mother came to us and said 'Please keep this whatever money I have for my kid and give him when I am no more in the world'."
"This bank account will now help them," Danny said, "It's a dual account." "Two signatories will run the account – one is the kid and the other is the parent. There is a provision to replace the second one, if the parent dies."
"We did it in a way so that the security of banking transaction is not compromised."
Danny said talks were underway to ensure more banking services like deposit pension scheme for the children with special needs.
She said the Mutual Trust Bank also extended financial support of Tk 0.5 million to the Parents Forum to carry out its activities.
The global conference on autism in Dhaka last year, that brought top politicians including ruling India Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, inspired parents with autistic children to unite under the Forum.
A developmental disorder, autism robs one's communication and behavioural skills. No one can say why it develops, but it appears within three years of age.
Experts say those children cannot pick up self-care tasks –dressing, self-feeding, using toilet and others –the by watching and imitating.
They do not make eye-to-eye contact and have single-track thought process, but they have hidden talents like paintings and music.
- The Latest News @2012