Bangladesh has an elderly population of about 13.5 million, which is increasing by about 4.41 percent every year. The World Population Forecast estimates that by 2050, about 20 percent of our total population will be elderly persons, compared to 21.5 percent globally. Although Bangladesh enjoys the demographic divided with about 62 percent of our population being young, we are projected to have 43 million elderly people by 2050. Our government has formulated the National Policy for the Elderly, 2013, the Parents Maintenance Act, 2013 and other rules and regulations to ensure safe, dignified and poverty-free lives for our senior citizens, but we still need to plan different initiatives for ensuring their financial security, healthcare services, physical safety/security, recreational facilities etc. The immediate necessity is the adoption of appropriate measures for protection of this vulnerable group from the present global pandemic. All older people should be treated with dignity and respect during these trying times. Scientific data and evidence show that they are at the highest risk from Covid-19.     

Older adults in Europe and Japan have been found to be extremely vulnerable to the global pandemic. About 95 percent of the Covid-19 related deaths in these countries/regions were of the age of 60 years or above. More than 50 percent of all fatalities involved people aged 80 years or above. However, authentic data about the actual number of coronavirus infections among the elderly population of Bangladesh is relatively scarce. It is extremely important to ensure compliance with WHO guidelines, along with the instructions issued by Bangladesh's health authorities, to protect and treat our older people. The Johns Hopkins Health Department has issued detailed instructions about treatment and caregiving for elderly persons. While general instructions of frequently washing hands, avoiding crowds, maintaining social distance, etc are equally applicable, ensuring social and physical distancing for elderly persons is crucial. However, it might be difficult to convince a lot of the elderly population of how important this is. Faith communities are found to be a big part of their lives, and they may be persuaded by religious authorities to follow instructions. The highest authorities of the two holy mosques in Mecca and Medinah have urged Muslims to perform prayers at home alone. Even Jumma and Taraweeh prayers have been restricted in the holy mosques.

During these times, technology can be a useful tool to help isolated older adults stay connected to their near and dear ones. In developed countries, they have learnt to chat with others using their laptops, tablets or smartphones. If these devices are not available, telephone calls and notes from relatives can also help the elderly feel less lonely. In Bangladesh, it is extremely important to ensure adequate supply of food, medicines and other essential commodities to older people. Visits to doctors for minor problems should be kept to a minimum to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection. However, physical distancing of quarantined elderly adults should not mean social isolation. Friends, relatives and family members should maintain contact with them through various means.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle while in self-quarantine or in isolation is crucial for older persons. Even during normal times, they are often dependent on family members or caregivers in maintaining daily routines, eating balanced meals and staying active. Mental health is also a key consideration during the present pandemic. Many of our older people do not have access to a digital platform, which makes staying connected difficult.

The situation of elderly people in Bangladesh is worse than in developed countries because of resource constraints. A vast majority of our elderly population live in deplorable conditions. Those living in climate vulnerable areas are often refused access to healthcare services and other basic human needs, and the pandemic has made them even more vulnerable. During their youth, they had contributed significantly towards nation building. Now is the time for us to assist and protect them from the pandemic. If elderly persons do become infected with coronavirus, we must make sure they are able to access healthcare. For this, we must also do what we can do protect our frontline heroes—doctors, nurses and health workers—-so they can continue to provide their essential medical services.

Caring for the elderly is an important religious obligation. The Holy Quran says "My Lord! bestow on them (parents) thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood" (17:23-24). Similar instructions abound in other religious scriptures also. Ancient Hindu texts, the Holy Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras as well as the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, preach instructions for taking appropriate care of parents and the elderly. The Holy Bible narrates—"You shall stand up before the grey head and honour the face of an old man, and you shall fear God: I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:32)".

But in spite of all religious and moral obligations, the elderly continue to be subjected to disease, discomfort, ignorance, oppression, insult and abuse all over the world. Societal degradation from material pursuits has contributed to their deprivation, dispossession and loneliness. According to HelpAge India, every second elderly person suffers abuse within the family. Many of them are coerced to work worse than domestic servants, in spite of the provisions of the Indian National Policy on Elderly Persons, 1999 and the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. Every year, an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are reported to be the victims of abuse and neglect, according to the American Psychological Association.

The world has lost respect for the old; many societies now see their older generations as a burden. Due to strong family bonds and community culture, the situation may be better in a few Asian countries, but reliable data and statistics are not available about the actual plight of the elderly. The current Covid-19 pandemic has definitely worsened their plight and made them more susceptible to neglect. Many people are dying without proper care and treatment in the old-homes of Europe and America. Let us stand by our senior citizens, including those who are coronavirus patients, with all sincerity, dedication, and financial and material resources at our disposal.

Md Abdul Karim is a former civil servant and diplomat. He is currently Senior Adviser of BRAC Bangladesh and Chairman of IPDC Finance.