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Help mentally retarded children

18 December 2003, 18:00 PM
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
By Rubab Abdullah, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka
18 December 2003, 18:00 PM
From recent observations, we know that the birth rate of mentally retarded and handicapped children has increased in Bangladesh. According to a few specialists, these kinds of babies are born due to some particular reasons; such as early or late marriage, deficiency of nutrition during pregnancy, excessive mental stress during pregnancy, and so on. Whatever the reasons are, these mentally disabled children have longer periods of infancy and dependency on their parents than their contemporaries. It takes them many years to perform even basic skills like walking, talking and eating. Parents always have to take extra care for them for a long period and be anxious about letting them live their own lives as they lag behind and suffer from various shortcomings.

And sadly, these innocent children are often treated cruelly for their shortcomings by their fellow children. Sometimes even their parents start considering such a child a curse for the offensive remarks they have to bear. That is really regrettable. No one should forget that these children are God's creation. If anyone reproaches such a creation, it means he is reproaching the creator himself.

In many surveys, it is seen that if you put such children in proper schools they can do well eventually. They can provide the service we demand from an individual living in society if they are guided properly.

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For example, although they don't always have their own creativity, if you place a portrait to sketch before such a kid, he can conceive it and reproduce it exactly.

In Western countries, retarded children are not regarded as a burden at all, as they have social service organisations and institutions funded by the government and other sources to help and support them to be educated-cum-employed and that aim to bring them to the level of able citizens.

Like the West, our government should take strong, practical initiatives to build up more schools and provide the right kind of methods and skills for educating retarded children. Not only the government but also every conscientious person should come forward and contribute to unburden the poor parents of such children with compassion and financial assistance.