'Ensure rights of the elderly'

There are about 90 lakh elderly people in the country but they have been excluded from different activities of the society because of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, they said.

The speakers also called for ensuring the rights of the elderly who were once the most important part of the society.

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The Probin Odhikar Forum, a platform for the NGOs that work for the elderly, organised the press conference at the National Press Club in the city.

The forum members are Resource Integration Centre (RIC), Probin Hitoyshi Sangha, Brac, Bangladesh Women Health Coalition, Boyosko Kalayan Samity, Probin Kalyan Parishad, Boyosko O Shishu Punarbasan Kendra, Bangladesh Geronto-logy Association, Ageing Resource Centre-Bangladesh and Ghasful.

The government has not taken any step for the welfare of the elderly except the old-age allowance, forum President Dr KM Rashid said, adding that there is no national policy for them.

He urged the government to implement the international plan of actions for the elderly adopted at the Second World Elderly Conference in Madrid in 1999.

Dr Rashid also called on all, specially the NGOs, to come forward to help protect the rights of the elderly.

Prof AK Azad Khan, secretary general of Bangladesh Diabetic Samity, said the samity will arrange preferential treatment facilities for the elderly.

Abul Hasib Khan, secretary general of the forum, Prof Keramat Ali of Dhaka University and Dr M Kabir of Jahangirnagar University were also present at the press conference.