Begumganj (Noakhali) Correspondent:

A rally for the Senior Citizens' Day was held in Begumganj Upazila of Noakhali on the occasion of International Senior Citizens' Day with only 2 senior citizens and upazila officials and employees.

The rally was organized by the Upazila Social Service Officer in front of the upazila on Tuesday morning.

In addition to the social service officer and three employees of his office, the rally was attended by Upazila Executive Officer Md. Arifur Rahman, Acting Secondary Education Officer Zahirul Islam, and Education Office Accountant Abdur Rezzak, a woman who came to the upazila to receive services, and Jinnah Mia of the Freedom Fighters' Office. Only 2 senior citizens were present.

This has created a stir in the upazila and many have blamed the social service officer for this.

An elder said on condition of anonymity, "No one told us anything before. We came to work in another office. But later, they suddenly called us to the Senior Citizens' Day rally and made us stand."

Begumganj Upazila Social Service Officer Nasrullah Al Mahmud said that even though the government has asked us to celebrate the day, we cannot celebrate it properly as there is no government fund in the upazila to celebrate the day.

He told reporters that even the banner for today's celebration was made with my own pocket money.

In such a situation, even though money has been allocated to various government sectors, where is the responsibility of the people of the society towards the elderly, that is, the people of the last age of society, since there is no money allocated for celebrating the day?

Local conscious circles say that organizing the Senior Citizens Day without the elderly is not only negligence, but it is extreme disrespect to the elderly society.

Journalists from print and electronic media were present at the time.