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This paper compares the impact of citizen's charters in delivering services by Union Parishads in Bangladesh in Bengali-majority and tribal areas. Using a qualitative research method, the case study was used to look at CC implementation in a comprehensive and in-depth way. Interview and observation methods were employed to collect data. One hundred interviewees from each union, including service providers, service users, and LG officials, were consulted in equal numbers from May to July 2019. The findings of this study reveal that, although Union Parishads of both areas are implementing charters, their performance differs. Subjects of performance variation are timeliness of service delivery, cost of services and responsiveness of the service providers. Performance variation results from varying degrees of implementation of the citizen's charter, attributable to several factors that include citizens' awareness, knowledge and skills, implementation willingness, and performance monitoring of the local officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to gain an understanding of access to rehabilitation services and disability allowances for children with disabilities and their families from the perspectives of service providers. We interviewed 21 service providers in Bangladesh and used thematic analysis to analyze data. Participants reported their perspectives on two major themes: (a) challenges in providing services to children with disabilities (e.g., limited availability of services and favouritism); and (b) facilitators in providing services to children with disabilities (e.g., cooperation from community leaders and satisfaction). Providers' perspectives revealed unique insights that might be interesting for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. The findings reinforce the need to consider the availability of rehabilitation professionals and disability allowances to meet the greatest needs of children with disabilities and their families in Bangladesh. The findings also call for further research on policymakers' perspectives on addressing the systemic issues encountered by providers in providing support to children with disabilities and their families in Bangladesh. Rehabilitation services are critical for children with disabilities to achieve optimal health, wellbeing and human rights The government of Bangladesh has increased rehabilitation services for children with disabilities, but there is a need for further investment to increase rehabilitation workforce It is important to strengthen monitoring and evaluation of disability-specific programs to ensure equitable access to services for children with disabilities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to understand the experiences of families in accessing government support (i.e., disability allowances and rehabilitation services) for their children with disabilities (CWDs) in Bangladesh. We employed a qualitative descriptive method of study and interviewed 27 family members of CWDs. A thematic analysis was applied to analyze data using the following access dimensions to organize themes: availability, accommodation, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and awareness. Participants shared both positive and negative experiences across the access dimensions in accessing government support. Participants appreciated the government's effort in providing support to CWDs. In particular, disability allowances and coordinated rehabilitation services at one-stop were important for families. Further, positive attitudes, such as respect and support from providers, were reported by many families. However, a majority of participants reported a long wait time to get the disability allowance for CWDs. Participants also reported that a shortage of rehabilitation professionals in the public sector was a major concern. Finally, inaccessible infrastructure (e.g., facilities and transportation) and stigma were barriers for many participants of the study. The results suggest that the government's commitment "on paper" is yet to meet the needs of its intended beneficiaries "in practice". There is a need for policy intervention to address barriers faced by families within the context of current access pathways. Shortage of rehabilitation services and limited availability of disability allowances [negatively] affect family member's access to government-led support for their CWDs in Bangladesh. The government has increased services for people with disability significantly but there is a need for it to ensure the availability of all forms of rehabilitation and increase the quota for disability allowances to meet the needs of families. It is imperative to improve mechanisms of monitoring the commitment of enacting tangible results from policies in order to ensure equitable distribution of disability allowance and rehabilitation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circumstances prevailing in South Asia (SA) have led to a plateauing migration stream that has resulted in several categories of migrants. The underlying factors driving migration have been identical in all the countries of SA. In recent years, however, poverty, conflicts, political and religious persecution, natural disasters and climate change have emerged as the most prominent drivers. External migration flow from SA has more than doubled between 2000 and 2015. This is a dynamic region, with millions (over 38m in 2017) of people crossing borders, both intra-regionally and extra-regionally. In recent years, wealthy citizens from SA have begun to move out of their countries with the intention of settling down elsewhere. This tendency has raised concerns among the policy makers because they create the grounds for reverse remittance flows. This research is meant to identify and contribute to the discourse of a new category of migrants (non-conventional migration) who are different from those in the conventional migration stream that included economic and forced migration. This research has crucial policy implications for both origin and destination countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]