Caring for the elderly

THERE are 9.77 million people in Bangladesh who are aged above 60 years and only 2.48 million of them get government allowance. Not only do most of them not receive allowance, those who do draw a paltry Tk.300 per month.
There is no infrastructure that will assure a minimally decent life for a vast majority of senior citizens. There may be retirement plans for the few who have worked in some structured place but the rest of the population can only depend on their savings — which an average Bangladeshi does not have much of.
There are many things wrong with this situation, to begin with the lack of support from the government and the private sector stands out most. There is no point treating the elderly citizens as a block of idle manpower who have outlived their utility. Given longer longevity and staying fit into the later years they are a demographic component worthy of utilisation in some sectors, as is the practice currently on the rise overseas.
To that end we need a policy framework, one that is adjustable and pragmatic in tune with the realities on the ground. Above everything else we must be respectful to the experience of the elderly and their needs for security. At the fag end of the government's tenure, a draft old age policy is available. We want it circulated for public debate seeking inputs from opinion leaders and stakeholders for a comprehensive policy package for the elderly.