International Day of Older Persons: The day is being observed across the world today, highlighting the resilience of older women in the face of environmental, social, economic and lifelong inequalities. This photo taken from Shyambazar wholesale market area in Dhaka shows an elderly woman still struggling to survive. This woman buys low-quality ginger from the wholesale market and then cut out the bad part of the spice to make them look good so that she can sell them to hotels nearby to earn a living — FE photo The International Day of Older Persons will be observed in the country today (Saturday) like elsewhere across the globe with the theme 'The Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World'.
On the eve of the day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting the country's all senior citizens and wished for sound health and peaceful life for them, reports BSS.
President Abdul Hamid, in his message, said, "I welcome the initiative of observing the International Day of Older Persons in the country like elsewhere in the world. I think this year's theme for the day 'The Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World' is appropriate".
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had inserted Article 15 (Gha) in the Constitution of Bangladesh for ensuring social security of the country's senior citizens, he said.
To ensure a dignified, poverty-free, functional, healthy and secure family and social life for the elderly persons, the government has enacted the National Policy on Older Persons-2013 and the Parent's Care Act, 2013, the head of the state added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the Awami League (AL) government has taken various initiatives, including National Policy-2013 on Older Persons and the Parent's Care Act, 2013, for overall welfare of the elderly people.
She said proper initiatives have been taken to implement the national elderly policy and build the elderly development foundation to increase the civic benefits of the elderly people.
"By using the knowledge and experience of seniors for the development of the country, we want to build the 'Sonar Bangladesh' as dreamt by the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Our government is continuously working towards this goal," Sheikh Hasina said.
The President and the Prime Minister wished all-out success for all programmes of the day.
According to the recently published 'World Social Protection Report 2021-22' by the ILO, Bangladesh secured second position in South Asia as Bangladesh covered 28.4 percent of people in social protection programs where the elderly population was also included, she continued.
The International Day of Older Persons has been observed across the world since 1991 aiming to create public awareness about old age along with ensuring security and rights for the senior citizens.
On December 14 in 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons (resolution 45/106).
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