Og der bliver stadig flere gamle tiggere i hovedstaden Dhaka, hedder det i denne artikel med titlen “Old, alone and without support”
DHAKA, 21 October 2011 (IRIN): As their numbers grow and their family support weakens, elderly people in Bangladesh are not getting the social protection they need.
Government payments for the elderly are inadequate, campaigners and researchers say, and only one in four elderly are getting them, according to a study by HelpAge International.
Meanwhile, adult children and younger relatives, who traditionally served as a safety net for older generations, are being pulled away, often for work.
The sight of an elderly person begging on the street was unusual five years ago, but it is increasingly common, said Shashwatee Biplob, a social protection and policy manager with HelpAge International in Bangladesh.
– More and more elderly here are being left alone, she said.
Industrial development, a lack of livelihood options, and a cultural shift towards a nuclear family structure are all contributing to the isolation of the elderly. Even climate change is at play.
As river erosion claims homes and soil becomes less fertile, people move away in search of economic opportunities, Biplob explained.
Zamirul Miah, 65, moved to the city a couple of years ago after losing his home to river erosion, while his son moved to the Middle East for work.
– Begging is my only profession now, said Zamirul Miah, who sleeps on a city footpath.
Safety nets
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