Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has approved the launch of the Family Card programme, with the pilot phase set to begin on March 10 in 14 upazilas across the country, providing Tk 2,500 per month to selected families.
The Family Card initiative was finalised at a high-level Cabinet Committee meeting chaired by the Prime Minister at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday. The meeting was held at the Cabinet Division conference room in Dhaka, according to the Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman.
The programme is being introduced as part of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) election commitments. Social Welfare Minister Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain said the Prime Minister approved the pilot based on recommendations from a subcommittee led by the finance minister.
Under the scheme, each selected family will receive Tk 2,500 per month in financial assistance. The pilot phase will cover 14 upazilas from different divisions. In each upazila, one ward of a selected union will be brought under universal coverage for the Family Card distribution.
Dr Zahid said the formal inauguration will take place ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The pilot phase is expected to be completed within four months, after which the programme will be expanded gradually to all upazilas nationwide.
The minister emphasised that the financial benefit will be provided to the mother or female head of each household, underscoring the government’s focus on women’s economic empowerment. He stated that strengthening women’s financial capacity would have a direct positive impact on families and future generations.
Regarding beneficiary selection, Dr Zahid said data will be collected through door-to-door visits rather than preparing lists from offices. He stressed that there would be no political or religious discrimination in the process. No party activists or intelligence agencies will be involved, and transparency will be ensured through structured oversight.
Implementation at the upazila level will be overseen by a committee led by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer. At union and ward levels, committees comprising government officials will manage operations. A first-class gazetted officer will supervise each ward, and a two-tier checking and rechecking system will be applied to minimise errors.
On financing, the minister said funds for the current fiscal year have been allocated from the Finance Ministry’s block allocation. From the next fiscal year, the Family Card programme will be incorporated into the national budget.
The launch marks an early administrative step in implementing the government’s social protection agenda through structured policy execution at the national and local levels.
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