Shesher Kobita

• BDT 27.98mone-time capital request
• 60initial resident capacity
• 11,000 sq fttwo-storey built area
• 22 decimalsTrust-owned donated land

Purpose of this appeal

Mitali Hossain Trust seeks funding solely for the one-time construction and establishment of a two-storey residential care centre in Panchgaon Mouza, Araihazar Upazila, Narayanganj District. Following completion, affordable monthly resident fees are intended to cover routine operations, including staffing, food, utilities, and maintenance.

Executive summary

Mitali Hossain Trust proposes to establish Shesher Kobita Ananda Ashram on 22 decimals of Trust-owned land (0.22 acres; approximately 890 square metres) in Panchgaon Mouza, Araihazar Upazila, Narayanganj District. The centre will primarily serve older persons from middle- and lower-middle-income families, especially those without family support, including widowed, unmarried, and childless individuals and those who have no one to care for them in later life.

The first phase will construct a two-storey building comprising 5,500 square feet on each floor, for a total built area of 11,000 square feet. The initial facility will accommodate 60 older residents at one time, with scope for future expansion according to demand. Total estimated construction and establishment costs are BDT 27,982,500 (2 crore 79 lakh 82 thousand 5 hundred taka). This appeal requests funding only for that one-time capital cost.

After establishment, affordable monthly fees paid by residents will finance the centre's day-to-day operations, supporting long-term financial self-reliance. The Trust therefore appeals to compassionate individuals, institutional donors, foundations, and responsible businesses for financial partnership in meeting the one-time construction requirement.

The Need: older persons in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's demographic structure is changing rapidly. A country once characterised by a predominantly young population is experiencing a growing proportion of older persons. According to the World Bank data cited in the source proposal, by 2025 one in every ten citizens of Bangladesh would be aged 60 years or older, and this proportion is expected to rise more rapidly in the coming decades. The proportion of economically dependent older persons also increased from 8 per cent in 2019 to 9.4 per cent in 2023. In practical terms, the number of older people who are no longer economically active and who depend on others is steadily increasing. This demographic transition has occurred alongside major disruption in social and family structures.

The shift from extended to nuclear families, the movement of adult children within Bangladesh and abroad for employment, urbanisation, and increasingly demanding lifestyles have left many older persons separated from family support in later life. Public statements made around the International Day of Older Persons have acknowledged this challenge: loneliness and social isolation, together with age-related physical and mental health concerns, can intensify in later life. Government, private initiatives, and individuals with financial means all have a role in enabling older persons to live with dignity.

This challenge is particularly acute among older people from middle- and lower-middle-income households. Wealthier families may purchase costly private care, while the poorest older persons may qualify for government old-age allowances and social welfare programmes. Between these groups is a substantial population with modest savings or income but no dependable caregiver in later life. Government eligibility guidance for the old-age allowance also recognises this vulnerability by prioritising, in sequence, widows, divorced women, widowers, childless individuals, and people separated from their families.

In practice, many unmarried older persons, widows and widowers, childless couples, and parents whose children have settled elsewhere in Bangladesh or abroad may possess savings or pensions but still lack reliable assistance during illness, accidents, or emergencies. Institutional capacity is also limited. The source proposal states that Bangladesh has approximately 32 registered and private homes for older persons, of which only 6 are government-owned. This is inadequate in relation to a large and growing older population. Most private facilities are designed for affluent residents and remain beyond the reach of middle- and lower-middle-income households.

Consequently, a large population faces severe insecurity in later life despite having some financial means, because appropriate, affordable, and dignified accommodation is unavailable. Shesher Kobita Ananda Ashram is designed to address this service gap.

Source note: The demographic, policy, and sector figures above are reproduced from the Bengali source proposal. Although that proposal attributes demographic data to the World Bank, it does not supply full bibliographic references. Authoritative citations will be appended as part of donor due diligence.

Design & Facilities

The design places well-lit, well-ventilated rooms around a planted courtyard, so residents move easily between private rooms, shaded verandas, and shared community spaces. Wide wheelchair-accessible corridors, handrails at appropriate heights, and age-friendly design principles are applied throughout the building.

Arrival and entrance

A single, clearly marked entrance with a gentle stepped approach leads into reception and the administrative office on the ground floor.

Landscaped courtyard

Open gardens and sitting areas, shaded by surrounding neem trees, give every wing daylight, airflow, and a place to gather outdoors.

Residential rooms

Clean, furnished and habitable rooms with wardrobes and personal storage, arranged for both privacy and easy supervision.

Dining and community room

A shared dining hall alongside the television room and bookshelves supports meals, conversation, and daily social life.

Circulation and access

Wide corridors, level thresholds and handrails allow wheelchair movement and safe, unhurried walking throughout the building.

Facilities and services

• Clean, well-lit, well-ventilated, furnished and habitable rooms
• Twenty-four-hour trained care staff and supervision
• Emergency medical support and rapid transfer to hospital
• A separate sick room with specialised care
• Wheelchair-accessible, age-friendly design
• Uninterrupted electricity from solar power with generator backup
• Closed-circuit camera security system
• Regular opportunities for family visits and communication
• Nutritious and easily digestible meals
• Social and cultural activities — conversation, religious discussion, indoor games, festivals
• Open gardens and sitting areas shaded by surrounding neem trees

Plans and drawings

The Project

Location and land

The project is located in Panchgaon Mouza, Duptara Union, Araihazar Upazila, Narayanganj District. The building will be constructed on 22 decimals of land owned by the Trust. Its relative proximity to metropolitan Dhaka will facilitate regular visits by family members and relatives, while its distance from urban congestion will provide a peaceful and healthy setting for older residents.

Building plan, room configuration and capacity

The ground floor will contain reception and administrative offices, a dining hall and kitchen, a television room, a separate medical/sick room, and separate well-lit and well-ventilated rooms for older residents. The first floor will contain additional residential rooms, common sitting and social areas, and a spacious veranda/open area.

Proposed staffing structure

Staff salaries and all other day-to-day operating expenses will be met from residents' monthly fees. These recurring costs are not included in the present fundraising request.

Proposed implementation schedule

Estimated Construction and Establishment Budget

The budget was prepared using prevailing 2026 market rates in Bangladesh. All amounts are in Bangladeshi taka (BDT).

Total estimated cost: BDT 27,982,500 — twenty-seven million nine hundred eighty-two thousand five hundred Bangladeshi taka (2 crore 79 lakh 82 thousand 5 hundred taka).

Sustainability of operating costs

After construction is complete, recurring expenses — including staff salaries, food, electricity, water, and maintenance — will be financed through affordable monthly fees paid by residents. Because the centre is intended for middle- and lower-middle-income households, fees will be set at a realistic and affordable level, substantially below those charged by commercial homes for older persons.

Residents who, after a long period of residence, lose the ability to pay will be subsidised from income generated by the Sadaqah Jariyah fund described below. Under this model, once the centre has been built, it is not intended to rely on repeated annual donations. Donor contributions will therefore create a permanent institution with a pathway to operational self-reliance.

Support Us

Donors may participate in the one-time construction cost through any of the following mechanisms.

Policy on the use of funds

In accordance with the Trust deed, surplus income will be used only for social welfare, Sadaqah Jariyah subsidies, and environmental conservation, and never for private purposes. Expenditure will be reviewed at regular meetings of the Board of Trustees and presented to donors when required.

Transparency and accountability

Mitali Hossain Trust is committed to ensuring the proper use of every donation. Donors will receive regular updates on construction progress; expenditure records will be maintained; and financial use will be reviewed at regular meetings of the Board of Trustees. Separate progress reports will be made available to major donors when required.

• Contact us to give

Mitali Hossain Trust

Mitali Hossain Trust is a non-profit charitable organisation dedicated to the welfare of vulnerable, low-income, and older people. Its founder and lifetime Chair, Mitali Hossain, first envisioned dignified accommodation for older persons approximately a decade ago. After a long period of waiting, she decided to begin the initiative by donating her own land. That decision led to the establishment of Mitali Hossain Trust.

Core objectives under the Trust deed

• Establish and operate Shesher Kobita Ananda Ashram as a dignified residential care and service centre for older persons.
• Apply the Trust's income to the welfare of low-income and vulnerable women, men, and children, and to environmental conservation.
• Operate and preserve Smriti 71 Library, founded by Mitali Hossain. The library is already separately established and in operation; it is not part of the building proposed in this project.
• Bring any future service institution under the governance of the Trust.
• Undertake activities in education, health, poverty reduction, and environmental conservation.

The 22 decimals of land donated for the project, recorded under Deed No. 6016, have an estimated current market value of BDT 14,000,000 (1 crore 40 lakh taka). The land has already been transferred into the Trust's name as its initial capital contribution.

Board of Trustees

Contact and Banking Information

Shesher Kobita Ananda Ashram is more than a building. It represents a responsibility to a generation that has the right to live in dignity and security in later life.

I began this journey by donating my own land. What is now required is one-time support to construct the building. Once established, the centre is intended to stand on its own operational footing and provide shelter to isolated and vulnerable older persons who have no one beside them. Your financial support and counsel will strengthen this endeavour.

Mitali Hossain
Chair, Mitali Hossain Trust

• shesherkobita38@gmail.com

This English page is a translation and reformatting of the Bengali project proposal supplied by Mitali Hossain Trust. Quantitative statements, budget figures, governance information, and visual materials are retained from that source. Renderings and plans are conceptual and subject to final design approval.