Saturday, 08 November, 2025
Globally hailed as a symbol of justice and human dignity, Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela once reminded the world that “a society that doesn’t value its older members denies its roots and endangers its future.” His words continue to resonate deeply in Bangladesh today, as the nation stands at a demographic crossroads — ageing rapidly but still struggling to ensure dignity, care, and social inclusion for its elderly citizens.
This concern took centre stage on Tuesday when national policymakers, development partners, and civil society leaders gathered in Dhaka for a high-level seminar aimed at shaping a transformative roadmap for long-term care (LTC). The event, hosted at a city hotel, featured a dynamic panel discussion on “Innovative Financing Mechanisms Towards a Sustainable Long-Term Care System in Bangladesh.” It also marked the launch of the country’s first Country Diagnostic Study (CDS) on Long-Term Care for Older People, jointly conducted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and AYAT Education Foundation.
According to a report published by the national news agency BSS, the study outlines a set of evidence-based recommendations to create a gender-responsive, affordable, and people-centred care system for older persons in Bangladesh. It calls for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to build a formal care ecosystem, integrated with health, welfare, and gender policies. As several participants at the seminar noted, while Bangladesh has adopted important social protection measures in recent years, these remain insufficient to address the scale and urgency of the ageing challenge. “Income support alone is not enough,” one policymaker observed. “It is time to develop an integrated care system — one that includes trained caregivers, sustainable financing, and equitable access to services.”
The seminar brought together representatives from key ministries, including Social Welfare, Health, Finance, Women and Children Affairs, and Planning, alongside development partners, embassies, UN agencies, academics, and private financial institutions. Experts highlighted the urgent need for a National Long-Term Care Policy and Strategy, greater investment in the care workforce, and innovative financing mechanisms to ensure that older citizens have access to quality, affordable care. They stressed that financial barriers remain one of the greatest obstacles to building a robust and sustainable LTC system. The consensus was clear: Bangladesh must align its policy vision and funding with the realities of its demographic transition.
Our elders are living archives of wisdom; every story they tell keeps history alive. Yet, in Bangladesh, this invaluable segment of society remains largely invisible in the national development discourse. According to the latest census, approximately 15.3 million people aged 60 and above now live in Bangladesh — about 9.3% of the population. This figure is expected to more than double, reaching 36 million by 2050.
The elderly have built the roads, schools, and institutions we rely on today. They deserve not abandonment in old age, but assurance — that their country will stand beside them, as they once stood for it.
Older people in Bangladesh continue to play vital roles in family and community life. They are the custodians of cultural heritage, moral guides for younger generations, and in many rural areas, respected advisers and mediators in social disputes. Many also remain economically active — managing family assets, providing childcare, or contributing unpaid services to their communities. Despite these invaluable contributions, most of the elderly face persistent neglect from both the state and society.
A large proportion live without formal pensions, social protection, or adequate healthcare. The government’s Old-Age Allowance Programme, though well-intentioned, remains limited in scope and scale. It reaches only a fraction of those in need, and the small stipends offered are far from sufficient to guarantee a dignified standard of living. In rural and low-income urban settings, older people often depend entirely on their families — a fragile arrangement in the face of rising living costs and the growing migration of younger family members to cities or abroad. In contrast, developed nations treat ageing as a central pillar of public policy. Comprehensive social security systems, geriatric healthcare, and accessible urban environments allow older citizens in countries like Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to live independently and with dignity. There, ageing populations are viewed not as burdens but as reservoirs of knowledge, skills, and civic value.
In Bangladesh, however, ageing remains a neglected policy agenda — overshadowed by short-term political priorities and developmental rhetoric that rarely extends beyond the working-age population. If this neglect persists, Bangladesh risks deepening intergenerational inequality and undermining the social fabric that binds communities together. The elderly deserve more than token gestures of welfare; they deserve structured protection, respect, and participation in public life. Protecting and empowering older people should not be regarded as charity — it is a moral and developmental necessity, a recognition of their lifelong service to the nation.
The CDS on Long-Term Care offers a practical blueprint for this transformation. Its recommendations — including a coordinated national care strategy, workforce development, and sustainable financing models — can serve as a foundation for building a future-ready care system. Such reforms would not only enhance the wellbeing of older citizens but also empower women, who currently shoulder the overwhelming burden of unpaid caregiving.
As Bangladesh prepares to become an upper-middle-income country, it must also aspire to become an age-inclusive nation — one that recognises ageing not as decline, but as continuity. This requires bold policymaking, social investment, and, above all, empathy. The elderly have built the roads, schools, and institutions we rely on today. They deserve not abandonment in old age, but assurance — that their country will stand beside them, as they once stood for it.
The message from Tuesday’s event was therefore both urgent and hopeful: the time to act is now. With the right vision, resources, and political commitment, Bangladesh can build a long-term care system that not only safeguards its elders but also strengthens the moral core of its society. A nation that honours its elders honours itself.
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Globally hailed as a symbol of justice and human dignity, Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela once reminded the world that “a society that doesn’t value its older members denies its roots and endangers its future.” His words continue to resonate deeply in Bangladesh today, as the nation stands at a demographic crossroads — ageing rapidly but still struggling to ensure dignity, care, and social inclusion for its elderly citizens.
This concern took centre stage on Tuesday when national policymakers, development partners, and civil society leaders gathered in Dhaka for a high-level seminar aimed at shaping a transformative roadmap for long-term care (LTC). The event, hosted at a city hotel, featured a dynamic panel discussion on “Innovative Financing Mechanisms Towards a Sustainable Long-Term Care System in Bangladesh.” It also marked the launch of the country’s first Country Diagnostic Study (CDS) on Long-Term Care for Older People, jointly conducted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and AYAT Education Foundation.
According to a report published by the national news agency BSS, the study outlines a set of evidence-based recommendations to create a gender-responsive, affordable, and people-centred care system for older persons in Bangladesh. It calls for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to build a formal care ecosystem, integrated with health, welfare, and gender policies. As several participants at the seminar noted, while Bangladesh has adopted important social protection measures in recent years, these remain insufficient to address the scale and urgency of the ageing challenge. “Income support alone is not enough,” one policymaker observed. “It is time to develop an integrated care system — one that includes trained caregivers, sustainable financing, and equitable access to services.”
The seminar brought together representatives from key ministries, including Social Welfare, Health, Finance, Women and Children Affairs, and Planning, alongside development partners, embassies, UN agencies, academics, and private financial institutions. Experts highlighted the urgent need for a National Long-Term Care Policy and Strategy, greater investment in the care workforce, and innovative financing mechanisms to ensure that older citizens have access to quality, affordable care. They stressed that financial barriers remain one of the greatest obstacles to building a robust and sustainable LTC system. The consensus was clear: Bangladesh must align its policy vision and funding with the realities of its demographic transition.
Our elders are living archives of wisdom; every story they tell keeps history alive. Yet, in Bangladesh, this invaluable segment of society remains largely invisible in the national development discourse. According to the latest census, approximately 15.3 million people aged 60 and above now live in Bangladesh — about 9.3% of the population. This figure is expected to more than double, reaching 36 million by 2050.
The elderly have built the roads, schools, and institutions we rely on today. They deserve not abandonment in old age, but assurance — that their country will stand beside them, as they once stood for it.
Older people in Bangladesh continue to play vital roles in family and community life. They are the custodians of cultural heritage, moral guides for younger generations, and in many rural areas, respected advisers and mediators in social disputes. Many also remain economically active — managing family assets, providing childcare, or contributing unpaid services to their communities. Despite these invaluable contributions, most of the elderly face persistent neglect from both the state and society.
A large proportion live without formal pensions, social protection, or adequate healthcare. The government’s Old-Age Allowance Programme, though well-intentioned, remains limited in scope and scale. It reaches only a fraction of those in need, and the small stipends offered are far from sufficient to guarantee a dignified standard of living. In rural and low-income urban settings, older people often depend entirely on their families — a fragile arrangement in the face of rising living costs and the growing migration of younger family members to cities or abroad. In contrast, developed nations treat ageing as a central pillar of public policy. Comprehensive social security systems, geriatric healthcare, and accessible urban environments allow older citizens in countries like Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to live independently and with dignity. There, ageing populations are viewed not as burdens but as reservoirs of knowledge, skills, and civic value.
In Bangladesh, however, ageing remains a neglected policy agenda — overshadowed by short-term political priorities and developmental rhetoric that rarely extends beyond the working-age population. If this neglect persists, Bangladesh risks deepening intergenerational inequality and undermining the social fabric that binds communities together. The elderly deserve more than token gestures of welfare; they deserve structured protection, respect, and participation in public life. Protecting and empowering older people should not be regarded as charity — it is a moral and developmental necessity, a recognition of their lifelong service to the nation.
The CDS on Long-Term Care offers a practical blueprint for this transformation. Its recommendations — including a coordinated national care strategy, workforce development, and sustainable financing models — can serve as a foundation for building a future-ready care system. Such reforms would not only enhance the wellbeing of older citizens but also empower women, who currently shoulder the overwhelming burden of unpaid caregiving.
As Bangladesh prepares to become an upper-middle-income country, it must also aspire to become an age-inclusive nation — one that recognises ageing not as decline, but as continuity. This requires bold policymaking, social investment, and, above all, empathy. The elderly have built the roads, schools, and institutions we rely on today. They deserve not abandonment in old age, but assurance — that their country will stand beside them, as they once stood for it.
The message from Tuesday’s event was therefore both urgent and hopeful: the time to act is now. With the right vision, resources, and political commitment, Bangladesh can build a long-term care system that not only safeguards its elders but also strengthens the moral core of its society. A nation that honours its elders honours itself.
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