Abdus Sattar Dulal

Abdus Sattar Dulal

Mr. Abdus Sattar Dulal was born in a respected leadership family 1960 in Bangladesh. At the age of fifteen, he survived a life-threatening fall from a tree—an accident that, by the grace of Allah, spared his life but left him in a coma for 42 days and required seven long years of recovery. Since then, he has lived with a physical disability and uses a wheelchair for mobility. Throughout his ordeal, his mother, Ms Noor Nahar, prayed tirelessly for her son, often saying, “May Allah make a way for my helpless child.” Today, her prayers are reflected in Dulal’s remarkable journey. Mr. Dulal has risen to become a respected global leader and a powerful voice among the world’s representing 1.3 billion People with Disabilities (PwDs). He is married to a woman who also lives with a severe disability, and together they are proud parents of two sons.

Mr. Dulal is a rights and holistic development promoter of persons with disabilities in the world. From a very young age, he has maintained leadership positions and has 47 years of dedicated experience in advancing acceptable development and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs). He has been instrumental in shaping non-discriminatory systems, policies, and practices at both national and international levels. Recognized globally as an expert, activist, leader, mentor, trainer and advocate, he works tirelessly to uphold the rights and development of all. His lifelong commitment continues to drive meaningful change—fostering human rights and development that are acceptable, enjoyable, and sustainable for all. Dulal has received many congratulations and recognitions for his achievements, including many national and international awards including the UN Disability Rights Champion awards..

Mr. Dulal has played an instrumental role as expert in shaping major national, regional, and global initiatives for more than four decades. Across the four consecutive decades of UNESCAP’s including the disability-inclusive development agenda (1993–2032), he has contributed to creation of key frameworks, mandates for action, and strategic guidance. His involvement extends to significant global instruments and initiatives, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Asian Development Bank’s Poverty and Social Development Papers, the World Report on Disability of WHO, Australia’s Development for All policy and many others.