Elderly Experience should be utilized in national development

Director of the Department of Environment Ziaul Haque said, the elderly are not a burden but an asset for the country. The experience of the elderly should be utilized in running the state. 

He said this at a discussion on "The impact of climate change on the elderly population in Bangladesh: What needs to be done to include the elderly in climate change policies and programs at the national level" at the conference room of the Resource Integration Center (RIC) in Dhanmondi on Thursday afternoon.

He said, "Currently, everyone from the young to the elderly has been affected by environmental pollution. Therefore, the Department of Environment has taken various steps to reduce pollution and carbon and has sent various information to the United Nations."

He also said that measures have been taken to prevent the emission of toxic gases and black smoke from cars by big industries. In addition, a project to launch 200 electric buses in the capital to prevent air pollution has been taken.

Special guest of the event, Mihir Biswas, said that there is a need to create district-based organizations for the elderly. In addition, the elderly should try to be work-oriented instead of being completely dependent on family members. And the current generation should pay attention to the elderly in their families.

Other guests said that the elderly are the first to be affected by air pollution. To ensure the rights of the elderly, all the elderly organizations should come together and request the government to include them under the department. This is how the problems of the elderly can be identified. 

In addition, the elderly are constantly being neglected in society. The young have to rely on the elderly to learn something new.

With climate change, the elderly are being affected by noise and air pollution. This is making their lives unbearable.

 Therefore, instead of looking at the government's policies, the elderly should take various steps for their own development. 

The event was chaired by the Executive Director of RIC, Abul Hasib Khan, and the Director of the Department of Environment, Md. Ziaul Haque, was the chief guest. The event was attended by the special guest of the event, Mihir Biswas, environmental expert and joint editor of BAPA. 

Also present were RIC researcher Tofazzal Hossain, former director of Bangladesh Open University, SMHM Sakhawat Hossain and others.