Socio-economic and demographic transitions in a country
affect the provision of support to the older people.
Such transitions are eroding the family support system in
Asian countries (Apt, 1993), which is a matter of concern
today. Traditionally, support in old age in many Asian
countries like Bangladesh has primarily come from the
family (Ofstedal, Knodel, and Chayovan, 1999). There are
numerous socio-demographic changes in Bangladesh that
may affect the support in old age. Increases in life expectancy
at birth have resulted in an increase in the number
of older people, and a decline in fertility has resulted in
smaller family size; this phenomenon may have repercussions
for the support to older people in Asian countries
(Knodel and Debavalya, 1992). This is also true for
Bangladesh, where the support of older people has
traditionally been the responsibility of their children. The
increased involvement of women in economic activities
and fragmentation of families with rural-urban and international
migration have also changed the support system
for the elderly in rural Bangladesh.