October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. Down Syndrome Awareness Month is being celebrated across the country for the seventh consecutive times to create public awareness about Down syndrome. It should be noted that this awareness month has been celebrated since 2016 under the initiative of Down Syndrome Society of Bangladesh. The theme of this year's awareness month is #InclusionMeans. The main goal of this awareness month is to ensure the inclusion and participation of the underprivileged people with Down syndrome at all levels of society.
For the first time, the Department of Public Health and the Down Syndrome Society of Bangladesh jointly celebrated October Down Syndrome Awareness Month at the American International University-Bangladesh Campus with the aim of increasing public awareness on the issue of Down Syndrome in the university. Today, October 20, 2022, this awareness month was celebrated by holding various programs with great enthusiasm in the university premises.
At the beginning of the day, a colorful rally took place from the main gate of the university. The rally was attended by children, teenagers, individuals, students, teachers, representatives of civil society, representatives of national and international organizations, and media personalities. Sardar A Razzak, Chairman of Down Syndrome Society of Bangladesh, presented the main article in the seminar. In his presentation, he highlighted the key challenges in ensuring the social inclusion of people with Down syndrome in Bangladesh and presented the aspects to be done at the public and private levels. Special guests presented their important views on the keynotes presented in the seminar.
Honorable Ambassador of Royal Netherlands Embassy Bangladesh Annie van Leeuwen attended the seminar as guest of honour. He said, "Down syndrome is an important issue. Like the rest of the world, the number of people with Down syndrome is increasing day by day in Bangladesh. Their rehabilitation and inclusion is the need of the hour. AIUB Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Tajul Islam gave welcome address at the beginning of the seminar.
He said that this kind of celebration for the first time in the campus is very significant and the event will play a very important role in creating awareness about the issue of Down syndrome among the university students.
Professor Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani, Chairperson of Neuro-developmental Disabilities Protection Trustee Board, Professor Dr. Hakim Arif ,Director General of International Mother Language Institute, , Shafiqul Islam , Country Director of ADD International Bangladesh, Tawhida Jahan , Chairperson of Communication Disoders Department, University of Dhaka University, Dr. Ishrat Jahan, Technical Unit Manager of Handicap International Bangladesh were present as special guests in the seminar.
Honorable Vice Chancellor of AIUB Dr. Carmen Z. Lamagna was present as the chief guest in the seminar. In the speech of the chief guest, the AIUB Vice-Chancellor said that there is an opportunity to conduct research on Down syndrome at the university level and it is important to increase the awareness and knowledge about Down syndrome among the students.
Children, teenagers and individuals with Down syndrome performed dance, song and ramp shows in this event to celebrate the awareness month which was very lively and engaging.
