DHAKA: Saima Wazed Hossain, chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism in Bangladesh, ‍and the daughter of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to address a special event of UN to mark the World Autism Awareness Day on April 2.

In observance of the day, the United Nations will arrange a number of special events during the day including two panel discussions to motivate the global community to develop and implement strategies to early identification of autism and social awareness and understanding of it to build an inclusive society. Saima Hossain will talk in the sessions, informed Ashraful Alam, Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister.

The panel discussion jointly co-hosted by the permanent missions of Bangladesh and Qatar and Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization with worldwide network, titled “Science, Collaboration & Answers for the Global Autism Community” will be held in the afternoon.

The permanent mission of Bangladesh will co-sponsor these two major events.

Saima Wazed, daughter of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, will also participate in the morning session where Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Under Secretary General for communication and public information Cristina Gallach will address.

Meadwhile a press release from the permanent mission said, the discussion titled “Employment: The Autism Advantage” will be held in the opening session where measures required to support growth in employment opportunities for people on the autism spectrum will be focused.

Saima Wazed, a renowned child psychologist, will address the panel discussion in the afternoon while Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, Suzane Wright and Bob Wright, the founders of the Autism Speaks, among others, will attend the program.

Permanent representative of Bangladesh Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen and permanent representative of Qatar Alya Ahmed S. Al-Thani will moderate the program.

Both the programs will be live on the UN WEB TV.

BDST: 1142 HRS, APR 01, 2015