Ageing issues are directly or indirectly related to many topics, such as social welfare, demography, economics, food and nutrition, health, education and human rights. There is no universally accepted age bracket of the elderly but, in most literature, people above 60 years of age are considered as ‘old’ and taken to be the ‘elderly’ segment of the population of a country. However, in many developed countries, the age of 65 is used as a reference point for older persons as this is often the age at which persons become eligible for old-age social security benefits. The United Nations uses 60 years to refer to older people. Like the global pattern, the number and rate of elderly population of Bangladesh is increasing and expected to increase more in the future years. According to the United Nations Population Division (2013), the size of population of Bangladesh aged 65 years or more has reached about 8 million in 2010 from 4 million in 1990, and this pattern of increase is forecasted to be steeper in the coming years. The size of the elderly people would be more than 14 million in 2020 and in 2025 the size of elderly is expected to be 17.2 million. With this pattern of increase in ageing population, the question on whether ageing has really emerged as a demographic issue is already on. This is already time to pin down the important issues that should be addressed and the country should be prepared to face the challenges of ageing in order to implement public policies.

Bangladesh has been facing shortages of public services with regard to care of older people. At present about 7 percent i.e. 9 million of the total population constitutes the older population in the country. Majority of the older people are living in poor health, economic hardship and social insecurity. In this situation, government organizations (GOs), Non-government organizations (NGOs), INGOs, civil society including academics, mass media as well as various social service agencies are working to reduce their vulnerability and bring them in the main stream of social life as productive, healthy and dignified members of the society. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh gives emphasis on the rights and privileges of the older people along with other citizens (GoB, 1972:12-13). In addition, Bangladesh was a member country of both the First World Assembly on Ageing, organized by the United Nations (UN) in 1982 in Vienna, Austria and the Second World Assembly on Ageing, organized by UN in 2002 in Madrid, Spain. To ensure the rights and privileges of the older people, Bangladesh government finalized the National Policy on Older Persons and the Parent’s Maintenance Act in 2013.

Bangladesh maintains a traditional society in south-east Asia where family is the key point in support system and security for the older people. In policy level initiatives and institutional arrangements, in providing social security to the older people outside the family are quite inadequate. Pension system in Bangladesh is mainly practiced in government services which covers 1.2 million of the total population. On the other hand, the government introduced Old Age Allowance Program for the first time in the fiscal year of 1997-1998 for the truly vulnerable; and in the current year of 2017-2018 it will cover 3.5 million of older people in the country (Department of Social Services, 2017:1). Although Old Age Allowance program has a limited coverage, this is a significant initiative to provide security to the older people in the country. In spite of these family interventions, retirement pension and old-age allowance still, two-thirds of older people remain uncared for. This is because of the scanty of comprehensive social security system and practices as well as the lack of policy formulation undertaken by the government.

The countries with a moderate level of success in reductions in infant mortality and fertility levels, improvements in nutritional status of the population and universal access to education and health care are presumably facing the ageing pressures in recent years. These successful developmental outcomes are achieved mainly by implying special policies covering family planning, health and education. Despite these advances, the social security coverage has not been comprehensive enough in the low income countries where formal retirement institutions are limited both in number and coverage. Being a developing country, in spite of several initiatives taken by the Government, supports available for elderly people are not adequate in Bangladesh.

It is important for the Government to find innovative ways to sustain its economic expansion, and to provide more comprehensive support for its growing elderly population by introducing new and strengthening of existing policy, institutions and economic structures. The actual size of this elderly population along with its changing behavior is an indispensable requirement for such policy formation. Policy planners must better understand the complex interrelationships of the health, economic status and available facilities of the ageing population in order to address the challenges of growing older more proficiently.

Ageing is one of the emerging issues in Bangladesh that has been gradually accumulating with its far reaching consequences. As a result, coming up with new legislation and policies and growing awareness on this issue is now a necessity and the policy planners need to be made aware of the situation so that the Government can introduce an appropriate pension system, assisted-living facilities, adult day care support and health insurance scheme to cover the need of the increasing magnitude of elderly people. There seems to be need for a policy reform that encourages the elderly who are still capable to stay in the work force. The GOB initiative to increase gradually the retirement age of some government sector jobs to 65 years is commendable, Retirement age of other government jobs can also be increased accordingly. In addition, the elderly people may be encouraged to be involved in self-employment in sectors other than Agriculture. Subsidized healthcare and medicine for the elderly people on presentation of ID card may be initiated with a long run target of providing free healthcare and medicine. It is also necessary to increase the number of specialized doctors with their expertise in geriatric issues in Bangladesh.

Mohammad Mainuddin Mollah
Assistant Professor, Institute of Social Welfare and Research
University of Dhaka.