The Lonely Life of Elderly Abdul Karim Without Relatives in Gazipur

75-year-old Abdul Karim lives alone in a dilapidated house in a remote village of Sreepur Upazila, Gazipur. In the twilight of his life, he has no loved ones to stand by him. His wife passed away many years ago, and his only son lost his life in a road accident. Now, amidst the hustle and bustle of the world, he is living an extremely lonely and relative-less life.

Once, Abdul Karim had a small family. He used to run the household by working as a day laborer. But as he aged, his body grew weak, and he lost the ability to work. Losing all his family members one by one, he became completely isolated. Currently, he somehow passes his nights under a broken tin roof, braving the sun and rain.

Local neighbors say they witness Abdul Karim's suffering every day. Sometimes they help him with food or essential items, but it is not regular. He receives a small government elderly allowance, but all of it is spent just buying medicines. Although local public representatives promised to arrange a permanent shelter for him, it has not been implemented yet.

In our society, thousands of elderly people like Abdul Karim face such neglect and loneliness at the end of their lives. It is crucial to establish permanent rehabilitation centers and proper medical facilities for them at both government and private levels. If the wealthy and the youth of society step forward, the final days of these lonely people could become a bit more peaceful.