Call to recognise contributions of the elderly

People of all ages should look after the elderly and the latter's contribution to the development of the society should be recognised, said speakers at a consultation meeting on elderly people yesterday.
The government should take more steps to resolve the problems the elderly face in society and bring more of them under the social safety net programmes, they said.
The consultation meeting titled 'Older persons and the achievement of millennium development goals' was organised by Resource Integration Centre (RIC), an organisation working on the rights of the elderly, at Cirdap auditorium in the city to mark the international day for older persons.
Speakers at the meeting said the elderly across the country are increasing in numbers, to be more than two hundred crore by 2050, which would be 22 percent of the world's total population.
Presently the elderly are at 11 percent of the total population.
The speakers said the elderly should be provided with special care as their numbers, under the poverty line, is increasing due to their lack of income.
The United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as a day for the elderly in 1990 to recognise their contributions and examine issues that affect their lives.
This year's theme of commemoration is "Older persons and achieving millennium development goals".
Awami League leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Women for Women President Salma Khan and Director of RIC Abul Haseen Khan among others spoke at the meeting.