Dhaka: The United Nations has passed a Bangladesh-proposed resolution on autism unanimously at its General Assembly on Wednesday, putting Bangladesh as the pioneering status in the world autism movement, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni announced here Thursday.

'This is another diplomatic success of Bangladesh in the month of national victory," she said at a hurriedly convened press conference at her ministry.

She also thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her daughter, Saima Hossain Putul, for their efforts to bring the success.

The foreign minister said the landmark Dhaka Conference on Autism Spectrum Diseases in July 2011 has contributed significantly to the UN resolution.

The Dhaka conference has surfaced a hidden child health issue and built world opinion towards a combined effort to tackle it, she said.

Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations said 193 member states of the UN voted for the autism resolution, with none took aide against it.

The new resolution, it said, would draw attention of the national governments to put focus on autism and deal autistic children more sympathetically.

The UN resolution would influence governments to prepare a database for the autistic children and take necessary steps for their rehabilitation. It will also act as the basis for high level discussion on autism at the United Nations in 2013.

Dipu Moni said Bangladesh has brought autism in the fore over years as Saima Hossain Putul has relentlessly been working to bring smiles on the faces of millions of autistic children in the world.

She said thousands of Bangladesh children were also affected by autism, a complex childhood disorder for brain development.

Ends/AMA/13/12/12