Dhaka Times Desk When people get old, they have no value anymore. At least that's what it seems when you go to old age homes. A few years ago I once visited an old age home in Gazipur. Seeing the old people there unknowingly starts shaking in oneself. How can people leave their own people to live?
Veterans Benevolent Association. Azan will be a little later. Chira, sour cream, banana. He will break iftar sitting with a glass of water in his hand. He turned around and looked back. No partner. And in one room, two women are sitting on two beds with iftar. They are not related to anyone. Three or four people were seen sitting together in another room. All of them are residents of old age homes. Those who were established in their respective fields one day. He also raised his children. He did not try to run away from any responsibility in life.
Family ties are breaking to keep up with the fast pace of life. At the end of life, they had to choose a nursing home! People who are separated from their families also fast. Visit this government old age home in Agargaon to see iftar without their family.
Some of the nursing home residents were government bureaucrats, some were college principals, some were officials of creative institutions. Due to a personality conflict with the family, on the pretext of not being at home with her daughter, and simply wanting to be free from the curse of being alone, she has taken refuge in the Agargaon Praveen Hitaishi Sangh's old people's home.
It was learned that 20 of the 40 people staying here are women. Mix and eat like 30 of them together. Become a manager. His responsibility is to market. He has to perform the additional responsibility of Iftar and Sehri during the month of fasting. Leave people alone and cook. The rest cater for themselves.
Ashraful Alam Masum, the administrative staff of the old age home, said that there are all arrangements including food and drink for the elderly sheltered here. Now residents no longer want to face the media. They think that if their news is revealed, the respect of the family will be undermined in the society. No one wants to open their mouths. They do not live on the mercy of anyone. He is spending his own money by renting here. But you can't help but sigh when you start talking. He requested anonymity. Someone says again, 'I am here and I may not stay again, people do not stay in one place all the time.' Afia Khatun (pseudonym) was once in college. He said one thing, 'Is it possible for people to leave the family! I am in luck.' After the prayer, the person I went to broke the Iftar with banana. He said, 'Of course I remember the family, they also remember me. I have only one son. He is a doctor, wife and mother. Conflict between father and son, mother favors son. I see no fault. So there is no question of compromise. The wife called and said that I have become a grandfather. I heard I forbid him to call. Calls every day, don't pick up. He did not even come to see me once in four years. Eid fasting is not different from other days except following the rules, which were in family life. I think that life was real, or this.'
The scale of pride is heavy for everyone. Someone again very lovingly said, 'There is no complaint against anyone. I want to stay. It feels good to be here.'
Often lost in memories while breaking the fast. Grab hold of the wealth of joy, but don't be able to overcome everything. The pain of loneliness sometimes freezes in the chest. Sometimes it falls as tears. They used to joke among themselves sometimes. Met the oldest Atiqur Rahman, aged 96 years. He has been here for ten years. Can't walk without crutches. There is always a stomach ache. He is walking around with empty leaves of two capsules in his hand asking someone to bring the medicine from the shop. I brought his medicine on the condition of talking. Then he said, he does not like to be alone all day, no one wants to listen to him. A woman named Fatema helps him in exchange for money. Talking about the month of Ramadan, he said, 'I can't fast, they don't even give iftar. A private university sent them iftar last Saturday. Then I ate the fruit.' Iftar days with the whole family seem like a nightmare to him.
There is no separate day called Eid anymore. Every day is the same to him. Passing time through morning, noon and night. And waiting for when the above call comes….
(Reading the article of Dainik Ittefaq, I remembered the old age home of Gazipur again and again. And so I published the article).
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