Dhaka, June 19 -- Former minister Rashed Khan Menon on Wednesday underscored social pension scheme for the welfare of senior citizens.

"Social pension scheme is needed now. It can begin with the garment workers and farmers," he suggested at a roundtable on 'Protection of Senior Citizen's Rights: Challenges and Opportunities' in the capital.

Prothom Alo and HelpAge International organised the discussion.

According to AgeWatch Index 2015 of HelpAge International, there are around 901 million people above the age of 60 across the globe. The number will turn to 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 billion in 2050.

"The number of senior citizens will rise 11.5 percent in 2030 and 21.5 percent in 2050 in Bangladesh," said Rabeya Sultana, country dir...