Dhaka: The Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor on Wednesday cautioned against misuse of public fund in the name of establishing institutions for special children.

The minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is giving priority to autism but some dishonest people are active to take the advantage and trying to misuse government budget in the name of building institutions for special children.

Noor said these while addressing an inauguration ceremony of a four-day long photo exhibition on ‘autistic children’s everyday life’ organised by Institute of Pediatric Nurodisorder and Autism (IPNA) of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) at Bangladesh National Museum today.

IPNA organised the photo exhibition to observe 11thInternational Autism Awareness Day - 2018, which has showcased the pictures of autistic children’s activity and daily life, and it will keep its door open for the visitors till April 7.

The minister said, “Many people are founding institutions for autistic children without having proper skill, training and facilities and misusing government budget so before approving any institute for autism, authority needs to investigate about the capacity of the institutions.”

He also said the people of the country was unaware about autism but the PM and her daughter Saima Wazed Hossain have enlightened people about it and nowthe autistic children are getting social acceptance.

Noor said, “we have to be more cordial and affectionate to the specially-abled children for their growing up so that one day they can make contribution to the society’.

Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU, Professor Kanak Kanti Barua, project director of IPNA Dr. Shahin Aktar and the main photographer of the exhibition Shankar Sawjal addressed the programme.