A/HRC/15/55* accumulation; for that reason, it designed the Targeting the Ultra-Poor programme. The expert calls on the Government to ensure that social programmes encompass a range of interventions and flexibility that facilitate access to them by those living in extreme poverty. 3. Assistance to older persons 94. Older persons constitute a rapidly growing group within the Bangladeshi population. Between 1951 and 2001, the overall population increased by a factor of 3.23, whereas the population aged 60 years and over increased by a factor of 4.35.40 The old-age allowance programme, Boioshko Bhata, established in 1998, is a means-tested cash-transfer programme currently reaching 2.25 million older persons.41 95. While the Boioshko Bhata programme significantly benefits older people who would otherwise not receive a pension, concerns were expressed over the targeting process. Beneficiaries of the old-age allowance must be 65 years or over, earn less than Tk2,000 per year, and must not have worked in the formal sector. In addition, community targeting applies. This means that the selection of beneficiaries (from those meeting the first set of criteria) is made by representatives of local authorities (district and upazillas), who must make sure that 50 per cent of those chosen are women.42 96. According to the information received, the role of local administrators is often arbitrary. Their involvement in the targeting process also creates opportunities for bribery, thus marginalizing further those who cannot pay a bribe or who suffer from pre-existing discriminatory attitudes. These targeting methods, therefore, run the risk of hindering the access of older persons to their right to social security. 97. The number of older persons receiving a pension from the formal social security system, which covers only Government employees, remains extremely limited and will remain so as long as the informal sector continues to be prevalent in Bangladesh. Such a situation risks leaving a growing portion of the population excluded from much-needed support, especially considering the gradual decline of family support systems for older persons currently witnessed in Bangladesh and indeed in the rest of the world. The independent expert encourages the Government to expand its old-age allowance into a universal benefit over a certain age and to ensure access to health care for older people. 4. Emergency relief: the Employment Generation Programme 98. The 100-day Employment Generation Programme is an emergency relief programme first implemented in the financial year 2008/2009, targeting people living in extreme poverty in rural areas (i.e., mainly seasonal agricultural labourers in monga-prone areas, namely, areas vulnerable to river erosion and flood). The programme was introduced as a response to the food, fuel and financial crises, has an annual budget of T 200 million, and is the biggest of its kind in the country. 99. Almost 2 million households registered for this “cash for work” programme during its first phase.43 The programme targets not only the poorest, but also the unemployed. During the low season, agricultural labourers are particularly vulnerable to unemployment. Although the programme has had a positive impact on beneficiary households, some 40 41 42 43 GE.10-15451 HelpAge International, “Social protection in Bangladesh”, 2010, p. 23. Ibid., p. 28. World Bank, “Social Safety Nets in Bangladesh”, op. cit., p. 46. Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Study on the first phase of the 100-day Employment Generation Programme, 2009, p. 6. 23