It is certainly encouraging to note that Universal Pension Management Bill, 2023 was passed in the parliament which would bring the country's growing elderly population under a universal pension scheme. Although demographic dividend is a much-talked-about issue in Bangladesh, aging has become a dominant problem in most urban societies all over the world including ours. Currently, there is 1.53 crore people aged 65 or above in the country, according to the preliminary report of the Population and Housing Census 2022. The report further revealed that the number of elderly people increased by 50.01% in the last 11 years, while the size of the population increased by only 14.66%. That means the increase rate of the number of elderly people is 3.41 times higher than the population growth in the country.

The Finance Division prepared the draft of the Bill which seeks to provide financial security to the growing elderly population in case of unemployment, disease, paralysis, or penury. According to the Bill, expatriate Bangladeshis can also avail pension by getting registered under the scheme.

Ms. Claudia Mahler, UN independent expert on Older Persons, called Bangladesh to take concrete action to combat ingrained and pervasive ageism and follow through on the planned measures to ensure that the rights of older persons are protected. During her visit in November last year, she also referred to the National Policy on Older Persons and observed that the lack of a timely action plan to comprehensively implement the policy remains an issue.

Recent joint research undertaken by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) suggested ensuring right-based healthcare services for older persons and inclusion of ageing issues in different general and professional academic curricula. Summary findings were shared in the leading national daily Prothom Alo on occasion of the International Day for Older Persons last year on October 1. The Study recommended the inclusion of 'Geriatric Medicine' in the ongoing medical academic curriculum of Bangladesh to improve the healthcare services of older persons on a priority basis. The gradual establishment of the 'Geriatric Medicine Department/Ward' in all medical college hospitals and general hospitals was recommended as well.

It is instrumental for Bangladesh to make a comprehensive assessment of the needs of the elderly and prepare healthcare or other infrastructure accordingly. Appropriate political will and budgeting to strengthen the protection of older persons in the country are certainly the need of the hour. According to Article 15 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, the state has the fundamental responsibility "to attain, through planned economic growth, a constant increase of productive forces and a steady improvement in the material and cultural standard of living of the people, with a view to securing to its citizens – the right to social security, that is to say, to public assistance in cases of undeserved want arising from unemployment, illness or disablement, or suffered by widows or orphans or in old age, or in other such cases."

The Writer is a Human Rights Worker.