No elderly residents at Shanti Nibas, Tk 7 crore building remains locked
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
The ‘Shanti Nibas’ was supposed to provide some peace and comfort to elderly people in the final years of their lives. But not a single elderly person has moved into the 25-bed facility in Sunamganj, built at a cost of nearly Tk 7 crore, even after three years. The building in Hachhan Nagar remains locked due to a lack of required staff.
Chairs, tables, exercise equipment and medical supplies are deteriorating inside the facility. Plaster is peeling off in some places and a rat skeleton lies on the floor. Rat droppings and garbage are scattered across almost all the rooms. Moss has accumulated on the walls.
Locals said there are still many elderly people in Sunamganj who have no safe place to live in their final years. Some depend on relatives while others spend their days in uncertainty. The facility built for them has not been opened, undermining the main purpose of the initiative.
Sabita Bir, a lecturer at Bishwambharpur Digendra Barman Government College, believes Shanti Nibas could play an important role for elderly people without shelter in society. She said it is unfortunate that the facility has not been opened despite having modern equipment and necessary facilities. An initiative should be taken to create the required posts and open it soon.
Construction of the only Shanti Nibas in Sylhet Division began in 2022. The work was scheduled to be completed by June 2023. However, due to slow progress, the entire construction was completed in 2024.
The 25 bed Shanti Nibas was built under the supervision of the Department of Social Services at a cost of Tk 6 crore 96 lakh 53 thousand 944. The facility has not been opened even after construction was completed.
However, officials of the Department of Social Services said the main reason for the facility not opening is the failure to create the required staff positions.
Nibas Ranjan Das, deputy director of the Sunamganj Social Services Office, said, “The construction of the building was completed long ago. Although the construction work was completed under the supervision of a project director, the recruitment process cannot begin because the required posts have not been created. The matter has been brought to the attention of the higher authorities.”
The building was constructed to provide safe shelter for elderly people in their final years. It now appears to be without shelter itself. Leaders of social organizations believe that if the facility is not opened quickly by recruiting staff, the infrastructure and equipment worth crores of taka will deteriorate while the people for whom Shanti Nibas was built will remain deprived of its services.
Gouri Bhattacharyya, president of the Sunamganj Mohila Parishad, said, “The initiative to establish Shanti Nibas inside the government children’s family was humane and timely. In her view, the facility could be important from both perspectives, providing children with a family environment and ensuring the safety of elderly people. If it is opened, it will create an opportunity for a warm relationship to develop between children and elderly people.”
In the words of Sukhendu Sen, convener of the social organization Sunamganj Jan Udyog, construction of the Shanti Nibas building in Sunamganj has been completed. It was a very beautiful and humane initiative for elderly, abandoned and homeless people. All necessary facilities including medical care and exercise have been arranged here.
However, such a beautiful facility has still not been opened due to a lack of required staff. As a result, the building constructed at a cost of crores of taka and the equipment purchased for it are lying unused and deteriorating. He demanded the immediate recruitment of necessary staff and the opening of Shanti Nibas to ensure proper use of the government assets.
Mohammad Habibur Rahman Chowdhury, general secretary of the Sunamganj district committee of Bangladesh Probin Hitaishi Sangha, made the same demand. He said, “An institution has been built inside the government children’s family for abandoned, unclaimed, distressed and neglected elderly people. But its activities have not yet started. In his view, once it opens, neglected and homeless elderly people will have access to safe shelter.”
There was a humanitarian idea behind constructing Shanti Nibas inside the government children’s family. The plan was to create a family environment by allowing orphaned and disadvantaged children and elderly people to live together.
Locals believe this would provide homeless elderly people with safe accommodation while also giving children an opportunity to receive affection, care and companionship from elderly people.
Matiur Rahman Khan, additional deputy commissioner (General) of Sunamganj, said the building was constructed to provide services to elderly people but the process of recruiting staff has not yet begun.
However, a letter has been sent to the Department of Social Services to take necessary measures in this regard. The Social Services Office has collected the necessary information to present the matter at the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference.
