Eight Shantinibas Shelters Stand Vacant Despite 82 Crore Taka Cost Over Lack of Manpower
Despite costing 82 crore taka and being officially opened in November 2023, eight state-of-the-art residential facilities built for destitute elderly citizens remain completely vacant due to a lack of manpower and operational budget
Constructed across eight districts at a total cost of 82 crore taka to shelter vulnerable and destitute elderly citizens, eight modern Shantinibas buildings have remained entirely unoccupied and abandoned to neglect for nearly three years following their formal inauguration on November 14, 2023. The Department of Social Services initiated the project to provide safe housing, medical care, and recreational facilities for individuals aged 60 and above, pairing the facilities with government child family centers to foster intergenerational coexistence and family-like environments for orphaned children. However, despite the completion of the physical infrastructure featuring elevators, reception areas, healthcare corners, and fitness facilities, the buildings have gathered thick layers of dust and suffered structural neglect due to a critical absence of operational budgets and manpower.
According to project implementation records, the initiative commenced in July 2020 with an initial estimated cost of nearly 74 crore taka, which was later escalated and extended to June 2023 following construction delays. The Public Works Department ultimately executed the development, handing over the completed three-story structures—each with a capacity of 25 residents—to the Department of Social Services. Among the eight locations, women-only facilities were established in Gopalganj, Lalmonirhat, Sunamganj, and Noakhali, while facilities designated for men were built in Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Barishal. Officials from district social services offices across the country confirmed that while the infrastructure stands ready, the facilities cannot admit residents until permanent staffing and operational funding are officially approved and allocated.
The prolonged vacancy of these shelters underscores a growing national crisis concerning elderly welfare, amplified by demographic shifts highlighted in the latest Population and Housing Census 2022. The census data indicates that Bangladesh is home to 15,326,719 citizens aged 60 and above, representing 9.28 percent of the total population, up from 7.47 percent recorded in the 2011 census. As rising life expectancy expands the elderly demographic, civil society representatives have voiced profound dismay over administrative inaction. Prominent Barishal educator and district Mohila Parishad President Professor Shah Sajeda criticized the situation as a manifestation of systemic neglect, stating that failing to operationalize the shelters after substantial public expenditure reflects deep-seated indifference toward the elderly within both societal and state frameworks.
Addressing the administrative bottleneck, Department of Social Services Director General Shah Mohammad Mahbub expressed optimism during a phone interview that the crisis would soon be resolved. He stated that manpower for the eight Shantinibas facilities was approved in the preceding month, and authorities anticipate successfully launching operations and welcoming the first cohort of elderly residents within the ongoing month of October. Until these facilities finally open their doors, the multi-crore taka structures remain dormant monuments of official delay, leaving vulnerable seniors across the country to navigate destitution without the institutional safety net engineered for their twilight years.
