Rights activists on Sunday urged the government to declare all people who reached their 60 years of age as senior citizen of the country to ensure their rights and mitigate the negligence towards them.
At a press conference, they demanded immediate approval of the draft policy for elderly people which is waiting for approval of the cabinet.The Resource Integration Centre and Help Age International jointly organised the press conference on ‘International Day for Elderly People 2013’ at the National Press Club.
Addressing the programme, Help Age country director Nirjharinee Hasan said in the country elderly people were nearly seven per cent of the country’s total population though this huge number of citizen were getting very poor attention from all stakeholders.
Even in the country there is no national age-segregated statistics of elderly people though some organisations are trying to collect this information.
Nirjharinee said that to ensure child rights and rights of people with disability United Nations declared international convention so they should also form a convention on the rights of elderly to combat the perception that older people as early as possible.
RIC director Abul Hasib Khan said elder people of Bangladesh are not addressed in any service sector for example public transports and public offices are not elder people-friendly at all.
He also demanded immediate approval of the draft policy for elderly people which social welfare ministry has finalised in June 2012.
Help Age International communications and campaign coordinator Shegufta Sharmin and RIC programme coordinator Ferdousi Begum Gitali also spoke at the pres conference.
-With New Age input
