Social safety net
Photo: Salim Mahfuz / Driknews
Any democratic pro-people government bears constitutional and moral obligations to create suitable conditions for the socially marginalised and extremely vulnerable population of the country so that they are able to at least live and die with minimum human dignity. Bangladesh, unfortunately, for various different reasons has been teeming with formidable number of such type of people both in urban and rural areas. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the government regardless of party divide to put in place institutionalised, class-specific, sustainable programmes to address this awful situation urgently. Here I would like to short-list these people in following manner: a) Sick-retired employees in govt/semi-govt/autonomous bodies in dire financial condition. b) Unskilled workers in vast, varied and unregulated informal sectors of economy. c) Marginal and landless farmers. d) Infirm, homeless, terminally ill, physically disabled, mentally deranged poor people. e) Orphans, social victims. f) Drug addicts. After nearly four decades of our independence any further denial to confront this vital national problem may, I am afraid, stoke anger, fuel crime and lawlessness at home and also greatly demean our national image abroad.
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