APASENTH, one of the leading BAME organisations working for the people with learning difficulty and disability, is considering expansion beyond the boundary of greater London, in effect, beyond the boundary of the UK. The organisation has the intent to take its services out to Bangladesh, home to many of the APASENTH service users in this country, provided vital supports are there for the preferred success of the endeavour. This was revealed by Mahmud Hasan MBE, director of APASENTH, who was leading a delegation from the organisation, in a regular meeting of All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Britain-Bangladesh held on Monday 9th May 2011 at the House of Commons. The delegation was invited by the APPG to make a presentation on APASENTH’s projects and programmes for the people with special needs and its future visions.
APASENTH is serving the people with learning difficulty and disability in different parts of the capital including Tower Hamlets, Croydon, South Woodford, Hackney and Newham with a track record of uninterrupted twenty-seven years. APPG chair Ms. Anne Maine MP presided over the meeting and the deputy high commissioner for Bangladesh in the UK Allama Siddiquee was invited to it as guest participant. Among others Richard Fuller MP, APASENTH treasurer Shoriful Nesa and senior officials from the organisation were present at the meeting. Mahmud Hasan, in his presentation, told the parliamentarians that a fair number of Bangladeshi-origin parents approached to APASENTH and wanted to know whether APASENTH is able to extend support to the people with learning disability in Bangladesh, who, as a result of their condition, are the victim of social stigma, discrimination and economic destitution. These parents have close ties with their home country and while on holiday they observe the miseries of the disable people with great pain, he said citing them. Mahmud Hasan mentioned that according to an estimate, in Bangladesh around 140 million people are experiencing learning disability, the number constitutes almost 10% of its total population. The director of APASENTH pointed out that his organisation is ready to consider expanding its services to people with learning disability in Bangladesh provided APPG extends its comprehensive support and the Bangladesh government offers definitive and effective support and cooperation to such an initiative. Ms. Anne Maine MP, chair, APPG welcomed the idea and promised to give full patronage to APASENTH in this venture. Bangladesh deputy high commissioner assured full cooperation on behalf of his government and asked APASENTH to prepare a Concept Paper about the scheme after conferring with all stakeholders in Bangladesh and in the UK and take steps to launch a pilot project in Bangladesh at the first phase. Director of APASENTH assured the meeting that his organisation will take all necessary actions in producing an efficient strategy regarding the project within a short span of time. Click APASENTH to see the presentation.
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