A Bangladesh-made standing wheelchair developed by engineer Shovon Parvez costs a fraction of imported alternatives, offering a more affordable mobility solution for people living with paralysis.
A locally developed standing wheelchair is giving people with paralysis a more affordable way to stand and move independently, while significantly reducing the cost of assistive mobility technology in Bangladesh.
Five-year-old Meem fractured her spine after falling from a rickshaw and had relied on a wheelchair ever since. Her circumstances changed in 2024 when she became the first user of a locally made standing wheelchair developed by rehabilitation engineer Shovon Parvez.
Shovon began researching wheelchair technology in 2023 while studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Daffodil University. With support from rehabilitation researcher Dr Manzurul Alam and the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), he spent around a year and a half developing and testing the standing wheelchair.
The wheelchair was designed using locally available materials and a simple slider-crank mechanism. Regular testing with users helped refine the design and improve its practicality for everyday use.
One of its key advantages is cost. The Bangladesh-made wheelchair costs around Tk35,000–40,000, while imported standing wheelchairs can cost about Tk350,000. Its components can also be manufactured locally or replaced more easily, potentially making maintenance more accessible for users.
Shovon is continuing to work on other assistive technologies, including foot-controlled wheelchairs, knee joints, wheelchairs designed for accessible vehicles and automatic therapy beds.
His work reflects a broader effort to develop locally made assistive technologies that are more affordable and practical for people living with paralysis and mobility challenges.