Call to end loneliness to keep the elderly well at Agargaon reception for distinguished seniors

Speakers have said that loneliness must be removed to keep elderly people healthy and well. Alongside family love and companionship, they stressed increasing social contact. The remarks came at a reception honouring distinguished persons organised on the occasion of Senior Citizens Day.

The Bangladesh Senior Citizens Welfare Society organised the event on Saturday (31 October) at Agargaon in the capital. Speakers at the event stressed increasing communication and the exchange of experience between the young and the elderly. In their view, the elderly are an asset to society and opportunities must be created to use their experience.

Three distinguished elderly persons of the country were honoured at the event. They are National Professor and Bangladesh Diabetic Association President Dr A K Azad Khan, economist and former interim government adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, and agricultural scientist Jahurul Karim.

A K Azad Khan said the number of elderly people in Bangladesh is growing and there is no scope to neglect them. He said the experience and skills of a long life are an asset to society, and the elderly must be engaged in various social activities by using that experience. Wealth alone is not enough for their wellbeing — they need family love, the companionship of their children and mental support.

The society's chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman presided over the event. He spoke of building an elderly-friendly society alongside a women- and child-friendly society, and raised the need for empathy towards people of all ages. Calling for the elderly to be seen not as objects of pity but with love and respect, he said both generations would benefit if regular communication and exchange of experience between the young and the elderly increased.

Raising the issue of loneliness in old age, former interim government adviser and former Bangladesh Bank governor Salehuddin Ahmed said many elderly people suffer from loneliness despite having money and wealth; they need family love and their children's companionship. Again, many elderly people have no one to look after them — institutional support is essential for them. He also noted that the country needs specialised geriatric care for the various age-related complications of the elderly.

Agricultural scientist Jahurul Karim said he was proud to have been able to work for agriculture as a farmer's son. Highlighting the contribution of the elderly to the country's progress, he said there is still no adequate arrangement of safe shelter and necessary treatment for them in the country. Alongside special initiatives for the elderly, they must also be given the opportunity to work for society, he said. He called for the society's activities to be spread to villages rather than remaining limited to cities.

Bangladesh Lions Foundation Chairman A K M Rezaul Haque was in overall supervision of the event. Describing the reception for the elderly as a 'reception for enlightened people', he said that although the country has seen much development since independence, there remain shortcomings and inefficiency among those concerned in initiatives to keep the elderly well. He called for working collectively to keep the elderly well.