Putting parents in old-age homes stands to lose this capital. It is seen as a mark of social failure. Consequently, people often take on caregiving responsibilities beyond their means, driven more by the fear of social shame than by economic logic.

The biggest impact of this falls on children, the elderly and women. Society’s traditional role in raising children is no longer fully supported by either the state or the market. Even attempts to address this gap, such as daycare centers or old-age homes are often questioned. Old-age homes are viewed as a sign of failure, while mothers who use daycare are often accused of neglecting their responsibilities. The elderly, meanwhile, find themselves in a limbo. They have neither the access to modern care homes nor the blessings of the old family system.

Children are also affected in the same way, along with their mothers. Marxist theorists have argued that capitalism turns the family into a centre of unpaid reproductive labour. Childcare and eldercare are carried out within the household, mostly by women without financial compensation, which reduces costs for both the state and the market. At the same time, as nuclear families replace joint ones, women are increasingly burdened with both earning an income and providing full-time care at home.

In Bangladesh, caregiving is seen almost exclusively as a woman’s job. Daughters-in-law, mothers or sisters are expected to carry this burden. As a result, when a family chooses an old-age home or daycare, the criticism is often directed mainly at the woman. She is expected to be both income earners for the household and full-time caregivers for children and the elderly. Caught between nostalgia for the old family system and the practical needs of modern life, women often end up trapped in an impossible, utopian demand.