Shuchona Foundation, an organisation founded by Saima Wazed Hossain, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's daughter, is going to train civil service trainees of the Bangladesh government a holistic understanding of about neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and mental health.   
During a simple ceremony held at the auditorium of Bangabandhu Memorial Museam yesterday, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center (BPATC) and Shuchona Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which the civil service trainees will receive training.
Rector of BPATC, ALM Abdur Rahman and Prof Pran Gopal Datta, vice chairperson of Suchona Foundation, signed on behalf of their respective organisations.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of Shuchona Foundation Saima Wazed said that the aim is to enable civil servants become better informed decisions when functioning in various positions within the government sector.
She said that Bangladesh can take pride in the kind of national awareness and planning as well as international advocacy that it has invested in tackling the problem of NDDs for the last few years.
“It has become evident that mass awareness, backed by political will, can make a difference in the lives of those with autism and other challenges,” she said.
She said that the people in the civil service need to be aware of the NDDs. The BPATC and Shuchona's collaborated efforts, through this MoU, will complement their focus on socio-economic development for marginalized populations and commitment to strengthening civil society.
Suchona is the culmination of Saima Wazed's efforts to coordinate and mainstream policies and programs for mental health and NDDs, starting with her launch of the Global Autism Public Health Initiative in 2011 and Global Autism Bangladesh in 2012.
As a result of Saima Wazed's relentless advocacy work, the passage of the 'Neurodevelopmental Disability Protection Trust Act 2013 and the adoption of WHO Resolutions no SEA/RC65/R8 & WHA 67.8 was ensured.
That resolution has been instrumental in generating the need for developing appropriate services and support for persons with mental health and NDDs into the national policy framework of Bangladesh and in the UN development agendas.