They said the government should provide medicine free of cost and open separate departments in all hospitals for elderly people.

The seminar titled 'The scenario of health service for elderly people and our responsibility' was organised by Bangladesh Prabin Hitoishi Sangha (Bangladesh Association for the Aged) at the National Press Club in the capital where many elderly people were present.

Speaking at the seminar, renowned economist Muzaffer Ahmad said the government and NGOs should take programmes for ensuring better health service for elderly people.

"Regular health check-up and proper treatment are mainly needed for elderly people because their health condition deteriorates day by day due to old-age complications," he said.

He also urged the government to provide special facilities in all hospitals for the treatment of old people and half fare in public buses for them.

Dr ASM Atiqur Rahman, secretary general of Prabin Hitoishi Sangha, presented a keynote paper where he said measures taken by the government and NGOs for old people are not enough and poor elderly people are still deprived of their fundamental rights.

He said the government should register the old people and provide them with medical and transport allowance regularly.

Nagarik Sanghati General Secretary Sharifuzzaman Sharif, Advocate Serajul Haq and Dr Rashid Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.