Employees in Bangladesh’s formal sector retire from a defined post and wait, sometimes in vain, for a pension. Informal employees, who make up more than 80 percent of all workers, usually don’t retire at all.

There was a time in Bangladesh when the family home was more than just a roof over one’s head—it was a living institution. Generations grew together under its shade, sharing meals, quarrels, stories, and responsibilities.

Rising uncertainties are making global compromise and cooperation more unlikely

The country’s population is still predominantly young, but a sharp increase in the proportion of those over 60 years of age could leave it ill-prepared to provide them with care.