The centenarian Abed Ali (116) of Hemnagar Uttar Para village of Saguna Union of Tarash Upazila of Sirajganj gave his national identity card to Anwar Hossain, a member of Ward No. 6 of Saguna Union Parishad, for old age allowance over three years ago. After that the old man Abed Ali got no old age allowance as he could not meet the demands of that UP member. Even his national identity card is still with that UP member.
Meanwhile, UP member Anwar Hossain has become former after the term. Sujan Sardar of that ward was elected as the new UP member. Even his sit-in for old-age allowance for several years did not work for him.
As a result, the old Abed Ali is living a miserable life by begging.
It is known that the wealth of Abed Ali of North Para village in the upazila is nothing. He is the father of 6 daughters and one son. Wife died long ago. Daughters and sons are married. Besides, the son is living a separate family.
The four-century-old house in the name of the deceased wife was deeded by his mother to his son Mahir Uddin. And the old Abed Ali lived with his daughter Tchiran Necha in a hut in that house. And Tchiran made his old father Abed Ali cook. However, the neighbor Ferdous Mamun said that the father and daughter are not able to feed and study with what they get from the alms.
On this side Abed Ali is Nuj due to age. Even then he has to go to different villages to beg every day. He said that he has to take medicine every day. But with the rice that I get, I cannot feed myself. How do you buy medicine? So if I had got an old age allowance card I might have got the money to buy medicine.
However, Anwar Hossain, a former member of Ward No. 6 of Saguna Union Parishad said, I have tried a lot to get old age allowance card of Abed Ali. But due to various limitations it did not happen anymore.
And the current UP member of that ward, Sujan Sardar, said that measures will be taken to get old age allowance card of Abed Ali only when the application starts in the future.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, chairman of Saguna Union Parishad, said, I will issue the old age allowance card to the old man as soon as the online application starts.
Besides, Tarash Upazila Social Service Officer KM Moniruzzaman said, I spoke to the UP member about the matter after learning from the journalists. Hope old Abed Ali will get old age allowance card when application starts in future.