<i>Once bread-earner and dear, they are now unwanted to children </i>

This old home known as Dakkhin Bango Briddhasrom at Kalikapur in Patuakhali town provides shelter and food for a few senior citizens who were once the loving family bread earners and now unwanted to their near and dear ones.Photo: STAR

Driven out by the only son and daughter-in-law, Abdul Hamid Mridha, 75, a former official of Sonali Bank, is now a resident of an old home in Patuakhali town.
"When I was in service, I lived at Mirpur in Dhaka with my wife, two daughters, and a son in peace and happiness. In 1981, I lost my job along with 20,000 other bank staff for taking part in the movement demanding salary increase. Thus started a series of ordeal in my life," said Mridha.
"I came back to my parents' house at Dakua village under Galachipa upazila in Patuakhali district. I had to sell all the land that I got as share of my father's property to meet the case involving my job. I could not continue schooling of my children after my two daughters passed the SSC and the son attended class nine. Somehow I arranged their marriage later.
"I started tutorship for earning. As I grew old and lost the ability to earn, my son and his wife drove me and my wife out. We took shelter at a room in Hetali Ashrayan project. My wife started working as a domestic help," said Abdul Hamid Mridha.
"Lastly we took shelter at this old home. Just before the Eid ul Fitr last month I and my wife went to my son's house but his wife physically abused us, forcing us to return.
"My son daily earns at least Tk 500 by driving a battery run three-wheeler. What have I got from my children whom I have brought up with so much care?" said a tearful Hamid.
"However, my daughters, now living at the home of their husbands, send clothes as gifts for me and my wife during festivals like Eid," he added.
Another resident of the old home, Dhalu Howlader, 80, of Haqtullah village under Sadar upazila, said, "My wife died nine years ago. I had to leave the house as my daughter-in-law abused me and did not give me meals properly. I started living on alms. After hearing the news of this shelter for old people, I came here two months ago."
Eight other old people also live at the shelter home set up in Kalikapur area of the town as their sons or daughters do not bother to look after them.
Set up by People's Association for Social Advancement (PASA), a local NGO, the 10-bed old home named 'Dakkhin Bango Briddhasrom' for the old people was formally opened on July 7 this year.
"We run the old home with personal donations. We arrange food, cloths and medicines for the 10 residents. We need financial help to expand our activities as many poor old men want to live here," said Md Zakir Hossain, executive director of PASA.
Lack of respect for family relationships and degradation of moral values is responsible for abuse of older people, said Atul Chandra Das, a human rights activist in Patuakhali town, recalling the International Day of Older Persons today.
A staggering 88.4 percent old people are mentally tortured in the family, 83.3 percent neglected by the family men, 54.5 percent physically tortured, and 54.4 percent are economically deprived, according to a survey conducted by population science department of Dhaka University.
Prof Dr AKM Nur-Un-Nabi of the department presented the survey report at a seminar titled 'Abuse against Older People within the Family among the Urban Poor in Dhaka City' organised by the department at DU on September 6.
According to the report, the number of old people in the country is about one crore that is 6.5 percent of the population and the figure would reach 4.5 crore by 2050.