Bangladesh - Mandating elderly care in a changing society

The fate of the country’s elderly remains an issue of widespread discussion, as many have called for a legal framework to protect the rights of the aged and following a high court order seeking clarification on the issue.

Secretaries at the ministries of law and social welfare were charged by the court to offer a response to “why laws shouldn’t be formulated to compel men and women to maintain their elderly parents,” with the court requiring a response within two weeks’ time.

The order came after a petition filed by Abdul Jahid, a social worker and founding director of an elderly care home in Gazipur district near Dhaka.

“I’ve worked for elderly people for more than 25 years and have observed their sufferings. I filed the petition because I felt the state should do something mandatory to save elderly people,” Jahid said. He added that it seemed ridiculous to see parents working hard to nurture their children only to be left uncared for when they became old.

The directive by the high court is unusual in a country that prides itself on having strong family bonds, but it also points to a shift in social and family norms. In the past, tradition held that sons lived with their parents even after their marriage. But many see that socio-economic changes in recent years, propelled by industrialization and urbanization, have presented challenges to traditional family models.

Hafizur Rahman, 65, a Muslim day laborer, has spent most of his earnings in the care and education of his four children. He has since been left to fend for himself, ultimately finding refuge in the elderly care facility in Gazipur district run by Abdul Jahid. “I’ve worked hard to help my children grow and study. When I became old I seemed a burden to them. I had no other choice but to come here for survival,” he said.

For the elderly poor, the situation is much worse.

Amena Begum, 60, who begs for alms near Green Road in central Dhaka, says at her advanced age she has no other option but to seek support from strangers. “None of my three sons wanted to look after me, and I was forced out of my home. During the day, I beg for alms. At night I sleep on the floor of a market.”

Agnes Gomes, 62, a widow who has found shelter in a Missionaries of Charity Home for the Destitute, tells a similar story.

“I have two sons and two daughters, and all of them are established. After my daughters got married, my sons refused to take care of me. Eventually, I had to take refuge here.”

While many in the elderly community support legislation to ensure for their care, others are doubtful that laws can mandate what family members increasingly refuse to give.

“Taking care of elderly parents is a moral obligation, and the government can’t ensure that the law will be enforced,” says Zia Rahman, professor of sociology at Dhaka University. He says the tradition of joint families has long been a part of Bangladeshi culture but has been a victim of changing times and values. “The new generation is trying to cope with modern-day needs and demands. Often it is difficult for the bread-winner to pay for the whole family on a small income,” Rahman said. “In that case, as our constitution says, the state should take responsibility for elderly persons.”

About five million people in Bangladesh are above the age of 60. The government provides a small monthly allowance of 300 taka (US$4) to about 2.3 million people.