Md. Sazedul Islam :
The age-old tradition of maintaining elderly people and providing care to them is gradually waning due to social evolution and values. Now a days in the complex global situation, youths are now being compelled to live in scattered family environment. Hence, joint family system is being broken leaving no protective measures for the elderly people.
Situation created a socio-economic problem for the elderly people particularly the poor who mentally deem themselves as “burden of the society”. They suffer from various socio-economic and health insecurity failing to receive no assistance from the state and respective families.
Elderly people, specially the poor families, have been thrown into socio-economic insecurity. Absence of health care facilities for the elders is another major factor that contributed to their suffering since aging invites new health problems.
There is a ray of hope for old people as the Bangladesh government came forward to stand beside them. Being sensitive to the needs of the elderly citizen, government introduced old age allowance to help them financially. From humanitarian point of view, it is essential to provide special allowance who pass their days in sorrows being hit by poverty. Despite limited resources, government decided to extend financial assistance to them. The amount is small but it makes them respectable.
Though the allowance was launched in 1997-98 fiscal year, the government increased the allocation so that more people may be benefited. Ministry of Social Welfare has been charged with implementing the allowance.
The objective is to ensure socio-economic development and social safety of the old people, enhance their status in families and societies, strengthen their mental power through financial support and support them in increasing medicare and nutrition supply.
In 1997-1998, the allocated fund was Tk. 48.40 crore while the monthly allocation per head was Tk. 100 and the number of beneficiaries stood at 0.40 million at that time. In 2011-12 fiscal year, the fund was increased to 891 crore taka, monthly per head allocation raised to Tk. 300 while the number of beneficiaries then stood at .2475 crore. The government later increased the amount as well as the number of its beneficiaries. During current fiscal year (2017-18), Tk. 2100 crore has been allocated, bringing 35 lakh old people under the scheme. The Government will bring 400,000 more people under old age allowance programme in the social safety net schemes in the next fiscal year (2018-19) (Dhaka Tribune, 22 April, 2018). At present, each recipient is getting Tk. 500 as allowance month. Beneficiaries are getting the money, which is payable in every three months.
According to Population census, 2001, National Report (provisional) published by the BBS, July 2003 reveals that there are 14,43,140 persons belonging to 65-69 years, 16,26,240 belonging to 70-74 years, 6,15,940 belonging to 75-79 years and 10,76,380 persons belonging to 80 years and above age group. Thus number of elderly population above 65 years of age stands as 47,61,700 persons.
Age of 65 and above are being given preference in this connection. According to official policy, most aged people will get preference but those whose age is below 65 years will not be eligible for the allowance. Those who are physically disabled will get top priority.
The people with physical sickness, mentally imbalanced, handicapped and partially lost their working capacities are to be given importance serially. Persons with physical and mental handicapped will be regarded as powerless to work.
Old people often have limited regonsative abilities and are more susceptible to disease, syndromes and sickness than younger adults. The elderly also face often social issues around retirement, loneliness and ageism. National identity card should be made compulsory for identifying the age of the beneficiaries. Regularly monitoring and evolution of these social security programmes are melded.
Age limit is relaxable for women. After attaining 62 years a woman is eligible for getting the same allowance. Old age allowance recipient’s average annual income must be below Tk. 10,000.
Government servants and pension holders will not be eligible to get the allowance. VGD card holders are not eligible to get the allowance. Recipients of government grants from other sources are not eligible to get old-age allowance.
Regular recipients of grants from any non-government organization or social welfare agency are not eligible to get old-age allowance. Labourers, maidservants, vagrants are not eligible to get old-age allowance.
Elderly people are the respected family members. They become earners for the concerned families when they get the allowance. Hence, allowance money is making the family life easier and increasing their status in the family. It is a nation building step of the government.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) said this programme helped the poor elderly people fulfill their food and medical needs, though in limited scale. This programme brought dynamism to the rural economy and a far-reaching impact of this dynamism is bound to influence the rural economy, BIDS said.
The present Government has given due attention to implement social safety-net programmes. The government has increased the coverage of the social safety-net programmes in all possible areas.The Department of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Welfare with its limited manpower and logistic support take it as a challenge to deliver the services for the wellbeing of the senior citizens of the country.
The programme also familiarises the old people with formal banking system. Through this programme, the recipients get opportunities to meet the senior public representatives when they can exchange opinion with them.
The age-old tradition of maintaining elderly people and providing care to them is gradually waning due to social evolution and values. Now a days in the complex global situation, youths are now being compelled to live in scattered family environment. Hence, joint family system is being broken leaving no protective measures for the elderly people.
Situation created a socio-economic problem for the elderly people particularly the poor who mentally deem themselves as “burden of the society”. They suffer from various socio-economic and health insecurity failing to receive no assistance from the state and respective families.
Elderly people, specially the poor families, have been thrown into socio-economic insecurity. Absence of health care facilities for the elders is another major factor that contributed to their suffering since aging invites new health problems.
There is a ray of hope for old people as the Bangladesh government came forward to stand beside them. Being sensitive to the needs of the elderly citizen, government introduced old age allowance to help them financially. From humanitarian point of view, it is essential to provide special allowance who pass their days in sorrows being hit by poverty. Despite limited resources, government decided to extend financial assistance to them. The amount is small but it makes them respectable.
Though the allowance was launched in 1997-98 fiscal year, the government increased the allocation so that more people may be benefited. Ministry of Social Welfare has been charged with implementing the allowance.
The objective is to ensure socio-economic development and social safety of the old people, enhance their status in families and societies, strengthen their mental power through financial support and support them in increasing medicare and nutrition supply.
In 1997-1998, the allocated fund was Tk. 48.40 crore while the monthly allocation per head was Tk. 100 and the number of beneficiaries stood at 0.40 million at that time. In 2011-12 fiscal year, the fund was increased to 891 crore taka, monthly per head allocation raised to Tk. 300 while the number of beneficiaries then stood at .2475 crore. The government later increased the amount as well as the number of its beneficiaries. During current fiscal year (2017-18), Tk. 2100 crore has been allocated, bringing 35 lakh old people under the scheme. The Government will bring 400,000 more people under old age allowance programme in the social safety net schemes in the next fiscal year (2018-19) (Dhaka Tribune, 22 April, 2018). At present, each recipient is getting Tk. 500 as allowance month. Beneficiaries are getting the money, which is payable in every three months.
According to Population census, 2001, National Report (provisional) published by the BBS, July 2003 reveals that there are 14,43,140 persons belonging to 65-69 years, 16,26,240 belonging to 70-74 years, 6,15,940 belonging to 75-79 years and 10,76,380 persons belonging to 80 years and above age group. Thus number of elderly population above 65 years of age stands as 47,61,700 persons.
Age of 65 and above are being given preference in this connection. According to official policy, most aged people will get preference but those whose age is below 65 years will not be eligible for the allowance. Those who are physically disabled will get top priority.
The people with physical sickness, mentally imbalanced, handicapped and partially lost their working capacities are to be given importance serially. Persons with physical and mental handicapped will be regarded as powerless to work.
Old people often have limited regonsative abilities and are more susceptible to disease, syndromes and sickness than younger adults. The elderly also face often social issues around retirement, loneliness and ageism. National identity card should be made compulsory for identifying the age of the beneficiaries. Regularly monitoring and evolution of these social security programmes are melded.
Age limit is relaxable for women. After attaining 62 years a woman is eligible for getting the same allowance. Old age allowance recipient’s average annual income must be below Tk. 10,000.
Government servants and pension holders will not be eligible to get the allowance. VGD card holders are not eligible to get the allowance. Recipients of government grants from other sources are not eligible to get old-age allowance.
Regular recipients of grants from any non-government organization or social welfare agency are not eligible to get old-age allowance. Labourers, maidservants, vagrants are not eligible to get old-age allowance.
Elderly people are the respected family members. They become earners for the concerned families when they get the allowance. Hence, allowance money is making the family life easier and increasing their status in the family. It is a nation building step of the government.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) said this programme helped the poor elderly people fulfill their food and medical needs, though in limited scale. This programme brought dynamism to the rural economy and a far-reaching impact of this dynamism is bound to influence the rural economy, BIDS said.
The present Government has given due attention to implement social safety-net programmes. The government has increased the coverage of the social safety-net programmes in all possible areas.The Department of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Welfare with its limited manpower and logistic support take it as a challenge to deliver the services for the wellbeing of the senior citizens of the country.
The programme also familiarises the old people with formal banking system. Through this programme, the recipients get opportunities to meet the senior public representatives when they can exchange opinion with them.
