By Md. Zillur Rahaman

International Day of Older Persons is celebrated around the world on October 1 every year with the aim of creating public awareness about this. The United Nations has observed the day since 1991.

Old age is an essential aspect of human life. Life in old age is very difficult due to various social, economic and cultural reasons and then it became risky and challenging. According to a recent survey, the number of people aged 60 and over in the world today is about 901 million. This number is expected to reach 2100 million by 2050. What life experience they will have at this age will depend on what country they live in.

More than nine percent of the total population of Bangladesh is elderly and this number is gradually increasing with the increase in life expectancy. They are not the burden of society, they are the wealth of society; They have to be considered in this light. In fact, these elders are the guardians of the family, society and the state.

It is said that Old is Gold, meaning the elders are the banyan tree of the society. In the traditional education of Bangladesh, there was a time when the elders, i.e. parents and elders, were interested in devotion, respect, service and care.

As well as the religious discipline was the inspiration to serve and care for the elderly, which today is about to disappear due to the impact of so-called modernity. But these elders are the ones who guide with the experience, knowledge and wisdom gained throughout their lives, enlightens society. Their contribution to the formation of the country, nation and society is unforgettable and infinite.

In industrialized countries, 65-year-olds are considered to be elderly, but internationally recognized, and according to the United Nations, people aged 60 and over are recognized as elderly in Bangladesh. If 7% of the total population or more is over 65 years of age, it is considered as an aging society and if 14 percent or more of the total population is elderly, it is recognized as an aged society. According to the National Elderly Policy, this definition of elders is followed in this country.

The difference between the situation of Bangladesh and the world is that in our society, other than the successful successful elders, the elders are not usually in the spotlight. Even to the family, they are often neglected. There are two reasons for this negligence. First, children live at a geographical distance despite having financial means. In many cases there is also emotional distance. On the other hand, in poor families, even if there is goodwill of children, due to indigestion, old parents or grandparents cannot come forward as per the need of grandparents.

Although the elderly are properly evaluated in the developed world, the opposite is true in developing countries. In 2015, the Global Age Watch Index surveyed 96 countries and selected 10 countries as the best in terms of health care for the elderly, economic security, employment, communication and social media. Switzerland is the best country in the world for the elderly.

This is because in this European country, there are various government policies and programs regarding the health of the elderly and their proper environment. Here an 60-year-old man expects to live another 25 years. Switzerland ranks at the top in terms of social attachment of elders and civil liberties. In the country, 100 per cent pension is given to those above 65 years of age. Then there are Norway, Sweden, Germany, Germany, Netherlands etc.

However, outside of Europe, the Asian country Japan tops the list of senior friendly countries. Japan has one of the highest adult population rates in the world. One-third of the country's population is over 60 years old. The health care of the elderly here is very excellent. A 60-year-old man expects to live another 26 years. In this country, the elderly have high satisfaction in issues like social connectivity, security and civil liberties.

The preliminary report of 'Census and Household Census 2022' says that the number of people above 60 years of age in the country is 1,53,26,719. They are 9.28 percent of the total population. In the 2011 census, this rate was 7.47 percent. As the average life expectancy of people in the country is increasing, the number of elderly people is increasing.

According to the same census data, people above 65 years of age in the country are a little more than 97.27 lakh and they are 5.89 percent of the total population. According to the census, the growth rate of the elderly population is higher than the growth rate of the population in the country. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that by 2025-26, the number of elderly people will reach 20 million and in 2050, that number will be 4.5 crore, which will be 21 percent of the then population. According to a UNICEF report, the number of people over 65 years of age in the country is increasing rapidly. In the next two to two and a half decades, Bangladesh will become a major aging country.

At present, according to the government's social services department, about 5.80 million people receive old age allowance and each of them is given an allowance of Tk. 600 per month. Looking at these statistics of the government, it is easy to guess that the number of poor elderly people in Bangladesh is quite large. As a government, there are now about 13 million elderly people - especially those over the age of seventy. But the reality is that old age is something that no one wants to understand, does not want to know, does not want to hear.

There is no limit to the suffering of the elderly, especially in the case of female elderly. In Bangladesh, the issue of contempt and oppression of the elderly is more or less prevalent among all classes of people. In urban aristocracy, there is a tendency to neglect and isolate the elderly. At this time, they are more mentally disturbed.

The type of neglect is different between the middle class and the lower class. Many do not have the kind of manpower and financial resources needed to care for and serve an elderly person in a middle-class family. As a result, the elderly are being neglected by their families despite their will or reluctance. However, in many highly educated families, abuse of parents is often reported in the media. Parents who spend all their lives and youth for the happiness and peace of their children, while in old age they are forcibly sent to old age homes. This is a very worrying picture for the society.

However, it is hoped that the government has enacted the 'Parental Maintenance Act' in 2013 to protect parents in their old age from their children. This law provides for punishment for non-maintenance of parents. The law states that no child may force his or her parents to live separately in an old age home or elsewhere against their will. The law obliges parents to pay maintenance and medical expenses. If the children do not fulfill these responsibilities, it will be considered a crime. In that case, a fine of one lakh taka or imprisonment for three months has been provided. According to the law, parents can take refuge in the law.

Remember that the elderly are part of our family. He should be treated like any other member of the family. We should have a moral responsibility to take care of the elderly like children and to show them love, affection and respect. Let no idea arise in them that they understand us. In this regard, the curriculum of every level of our education should include the duties and responsibilities of the elders towards the elders so that the new generation becomes novices in respecting, serving, nurturing and caring for the parents and elders in old age. The state needs to make arrangements to give dignity and recognition to the elderly. They need to be treated free of cost at low cost.

All the destitute and helpless senior citizens have to pay old age allowance. Everyone must remember, all the newcomers of today have to taste old age in the future. The family, society and the state need to fulfill their responsibilities and duties for the welfare of the elderly without neglecting them under any circumstances.

Elders are basically living history that acts as a link between the past and the present. Therefore, it is wise not to neglect this store of knowledge but to use their wisdom and experience for the development and progress of the country and the nation. We need to bring back the glorious values of the past for the welfare of the elderly, that is why the elders are said to be the banyan tree of the society, their whole life experience is the path of the new.

The elderly person has contributed a lot to the welfare of our family, society, country. So, now is the time to give the young man the old man his due respect, service, all kinds of cooperation. It should not be forgotten that today's young one day you will also be old. In the mechanical life of this present city, an elder is a blessing for all, not a neglect, but gratitude and genuine love for the elder.

The writer is a Banker and Columnist