Abstract

The majority of elderly persons in Bangladesh are living in absolute misery. Elderly persons suffer the cumulative effects of a lifetime of deprivation; entering old age in a poor state of health, and without savings or material assets. They are left out of the development process in Bangladesh and consistently lack the means to fulfill their most basic needs such as food, clothes, proper housing and health care, and also lack of access to resources and income generating opportunities. This Article highlights elderly people’s needs, how they survive and the contributions they make to the family. It also proposes concrete suggestions and recommendations about how government and non-governmental agencies can provide support to Elderly person. Recommendations were developed in collaboration with elderly person and other stakeholders such as NGO staff, community leaders and local government leaders and the results will be widely disseminated to relevant NGOs, donors and government agencies in various national workshop. It is my hope that this Article will contribute to an increased awareness about elderly people, leading to more inclusion and involvement of elderly person in programmes and projects and policies benefiting elderly people. This Article should be viewed as a step in increasing awareness about elderly people’s lives in Bangladesh.