The cabinet on Sunday approved a draft policy recognising those
belonging to the age group of 60 years and above as elderly people.
The social welfare ministry placed the draft of the national elderly
people policy 2013 at the weekly cabinet meeting with the prime
minister, Sheikh Hasina, presiding over at the secretariat.
‘The policy would help ensure poverty-free, safe and respectable life
for the elderly people. The 60-year old and those above the age will be
regarded as senior citizens from now on,’ cabinet secretary Mohammad
Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters after the meeting.
He said that the senior citizens would be entitled to the benefits and facilities meant for the old.
The number of elderly people in the country like many others is
increasing due to rise in overall life expectancy, the cabinet secretary
said, adding that the elderly people’s age had been defined in keeping
with the United Nations declaration.
He said the elderly people, as per the policy, would get special care at the hospitals and transports.
Mosharraf Hossain said that the government would take initiatives to
make sure that the elderly people lead poverty-free, safe and
respectable life.
‘More daycare centres and old homes would be established… The government
would also introduce savings scheme for the welfare of the elderly
people,’ he added.
The cabinet also approved the draft of the International Mother
Languages Institute (Amendment), Bill 2013, providing a provision that a
representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation could be accommodated in the board of the
institute set up under a law with assistance from the UNESCO.
The cabinet secretary said that the education ministry proposed the
amendment so that the International Mother Languages Institute could
enjoy the status of UNESCO’s B category institution and get more
technical assistance. (source)