A ‘Shanti Nibas’ (old home), built by the government for abandoned and destitute elderly people in Rajshahi at a cost of nearly Tk 9 crore, has remained closed for three years. The Shanti Nibas in Baya area of Paba upazila was inaugurated three years ago with facilities to accommodate 25 elderly people, including healthcare, lift, recreation, exercise, prayer, and training facilities.
But not a single elderly person has been admitted to the facility due to a lack of manpower recruitment. Besides, an organogram for its operation has yet to be prepared.
The facility was built under a government program to provide safe accommodation and care for people aged over 60 who are abandoned, destitute, or have no one to look after them. In 2020, Department of Social Services took up a project to build 25-bed Shanti Nibas facilities on the premises of government children’s homes in eight divisions.
In Rajshahi, a three-storey building with a five-storey foundation was constructed on 1,621 square metres of land on the western side of Paba Government Children’s Home (Boys). It has 25 beds, a lift, reception and visitors’ rooms, a healthcare corner, recreation and exercise equipment, a prayer room, a training corner, a production unit, and a coffee corner.
Despite the infrastructure being ready, the facility has remained closed to its intended beneficiaries. Long periods of disuse have left dust on furniture and equipment, while moss has formed on parts of the walls. Some equipment is also at risk of deterioration.
Rajshahi Social Services Department Deputy Director Monira Khatun said the facility could not be opened because the necessary manpower had not been appointed. “An organogram for recruiting the required manpower has not even been prepared. So far, we have not been able to admit any elderly person,” she said.
Besides, a Shanti Nibas built in Khulna to provide shelter for abandoned and destitute elderly people has remained closed for nearly three years due to a lack of staff appointments and an official office code.
The facility, built inside the government children’s family premises in Maheshwarpasha, was formally inaugurated on November 14, 2023. However, it has yet to accommodate a single resident. The three-storey building, constructed on a five-storey foundation, can house 25 elderly people.
A recent visit found moss on the stairs, balconies and walls, while railings have started rusting. Furniture and equipment have also been gathering dust. Some fire extinguishers at the facility have expired.
The ground floor has a doctors’ room equipped with a bed, wheelchairs and a therapy bed, while exercise equipment remains unused in the gym. The dining room has two large tables.
“The furniture and other equipment are deteriorating to some extent as the facility has remained unused for so long,” said Khan Motahar Hossain, deputy director of the divisional social services office. “It could not be opened due to the absence of staff appointments and an office code,” he added.