43 years of compassion

Valerie Ann Taylor, a British-born physiotherapist and humanitarian, was recognised yesterday for her enduring dedication and selfless service to the impoverished and individuals with disabilities in Bangladesh for over  43 years.

She was honoured at the two-day-long international fest titled "International Disability Art Festival 2024" -- jointly organised by Dhaka Theatre and the British Council in association with Sundaram and the Institute of Informatics and Development at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Born on February 8, 1944, in Bromley, Kent, Valerie first arrived in Bangladesh representing Voluntary Service Overseas in 1969. She served as a physiotherapist at the Christian Hospital, Chandraghona, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Her concern for individuals afflicted by paralysis in Bangladesh grew as she observed the neglect with which patients enduring spinal injuries were handled.

Valerie was evacuated in 1971, during the Liberation War. Though she was only obligated to serve for 15 months, Bangladesh had impacted her greatly.

She returned to Bangladesh in 1972 after the war and devoted herself to serving patients suffering from paralysis. Later, she established the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in 1979, which eventually expanded to a 100-bed hospital in Savar.

CRP serves 15,000 outpatients annually, offering rehabilitation, schooling, and vocational training. Valerie also established the Bangladesh Health Professions Institute to train medical personnel.

Valerie's dedication earned her a Bangladeshi citizenship in 1998 and many awards in Bangladesh and abroad. She received the highest state award -- Bangladesh Independence Award in 2004 -- for her contribution to disabled persons.

During the exhibition's inauguration, Taylor expressed admiration for the initiative, noting its remarkable effort to unite artists with disabilities and integrate them into the mainstream. She emphasised the importance of such events in enabling individuals with disabilities to thrive through artistic expression.

Later, a policy discussion was held where Taylor, Festival Director and President of Dhaka Theatre Nasiruddin Yousuff Bachchu and Founder and CEO of IID Sayeed Ahamed, spoke, among others.